At G7, leaders warn that any economic coercion ‘will have consequences’, targeting China without mentioning it

A subject at the heart of discussions in Hiroshima (Japan). Any attempt to “economic coercion” will have “consequences”, announced on Saturday May 20 the leaders of the G7 meeting in Japan, thus targeting the practices of China without naming it. Countering Beijing’s attempts to use trade-restricting measures for diplomatic purposes is a central theme of the summit.

“We will work together to ensure that attempts to use economic dependencies as a weapon” be “doomed to fail” were “consequences”G7 officials said in a statement. “We express our deep concern about economic coercion” which harms not only international trade but “also undermines the international order based on respect for sovereignty and the rule of law and ultimately undermines global security and stability”they added.

The G7 is particularly concerned about its vulnerability in strategic sectors, such as essential minerals, semiconductors and electric batteries. Its leaders want to strengthen supply chains to avoid their disruption and ensure that technologies with national security applications are “appropriately controlled”.

Protect yourself while avoiding a confrontation with Beijing

Washington has waged an intense campaign in recent months to restrict China’s access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing tools, citing national security concerns and pushing Japan and the Netherlands to take similar steps. . Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to Joe Biden, assured that past differences between the United States and the countries of the European Union had largely blurred. He also said their joint strategy would emphasize the need to protect themselves, while avoiding a direct confrontation with Beijing.