Public bonhomies, China nuance and the Brexit crisis have filled the G7 list

Photographs of Joe Biden and fellow G7 leaders chatting along the Cornish coast as they enjoyed eating crabs were probably not the best advertising on social media during the epidemic. But the beach cooker was designed to send another message: under the leadership of the American leadership, the leading democracies around the world are back in business.

After four years of Donald Trump’s presidency, when noises of communication were more prevalent at G7 rallies than at alfresco restaurants, there was all the excitement together. “This is the first time in four years that they have worked together,” said a British official.

Biden’s love was shown in a bonhomie between the US president and Emmanuel Macron of France, walking on the white sands of Carbis Bay, arms outstretched. “The US is back,” Biden said. “Yes,” Macron said.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, delighted with the post-Brexit reception, called the three-day conference “historic”. After the Trump crisis, there was a real global outcry between leaders of what Johnson called Democracy XI: US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and visitors from Australia, South Korea and South Africa. India Narendra Modi was present.

Which seems to be the norm a clear transition to democracy from the world’s leading economies, the G7 supported Biden’s call to “meet the deadline and support the economy” by spending more money; Johnson spoke of the need to address inequality.

While there was consensus on additional funding for developing countries ‘vaccines, the plan for future epidemics, funding for girls’ education and the necessary cooperation to support “white, green” funding in developing countries, there were differing views.

Biden said he had seen the conference as the western part of China changed dramatically the path of “democracy” in the China Belt and Road Initiative, which Washington believes is spreading Beijing’s power – including unsecured debt and difficult labor standards – around the world.

“I think you’ll see a briefing on China,” Biden told reporters after the meeting.

But White House officials say the first phase of the G7 on Saturday focuses on China, Britain has tried to refrain from making it with the words, saying it wants to “rebuild” after the plague.

Johnson declined to name China at its last press conference, and one EU ambassador said Johnson, Justin Trudeau of Canada and Mario Draghi of Italy said the G7’s emphasis should be to make a better case in the West rather than anger with China.

The EU was keen to emphasize what it said was a bit of a reality relationships with Beijing. “Our approach is that we must work with China on issues such as climate change, globalization as a weapon and challenge China’s reputation instead of human rights,” a European ambassador said.

Johnson a a recent review of foreign policy in the UK depicts a greater effort in Europe to ride two horses at once: it speaks of the search for “deep connections with Chinese businesses in the UK”, while criticizing China elsewhere.

Biden said he was “satisfied” with the meeting – he agreed with the authorities at 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning and mentioned China three times, in addition to human rights abuses in Xinjiang. But U.S. officials insisted the West needed to move forward in order to fight Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative with a global financial aid package, not just green alternatives.

Despite what British officials called the “greenbelt and road” system, there was no new funding. Downing Street reported that much of the “linking” pledges Britain and other Western countries had already made to support environmental activities in developing countries.

For Mr. Johnson, who wanted to take advantage of the conference when Britain left five years to focus on Brexit and face the world as a force to be reckoned with, the Carbis Bay conference did a bit better.

Like other major summer events – such as the 2012 Olympics or royal wedding – the UK showed off watching TV shows and creating “fun” events.

Looking out over the sky and the white sand beaches, the leaders met with Queen Elizabeth at a future nature reserve, while friends and couples were taken to the Cornish Museum. The RAF’s Red Arrows rose above the sea. Compared to the recent G7 summits, the event was riddled with good intentions.

But Brexit continued to push for Johnson’s attempt to create a picture of a strong “imported” country that brings the world back together. The Prime Minister instead returned to the occult wars with the UK’s largest trading partner in Europe.

Biden urged Johnson before the meeting to calm down the language in Northern Ireland. But the UK prime minister he grew – provoking the anger of the French delegation.

His foreign secretary Dominic Raab criticized EU leaders for acting as if Northern Ireland was “a different country than the UK”. David Frost, the EU’s ambassador to Britain, arrived at the summit wearing socks, while British officials said HMS Tamar, a Royal Navy ship sailing from Carbis Bay, was the ship that had been sent to the Channel Islands in the United States. fishing dispute with France.

Johnson stressed at the conference that Brexit is a “permanent” part of the G7 negotiations. The first face-to-face meeting of Western leaders in almost two years was an opportunity for “good cooperation”.

This was not a complete repetition of the 2018 G7, when Trump rejected talks at the conference and summoned the recipient, Justin Trudeau of Canada, “To the weak and to the unfaithful”. But leaders flying from Carbis Bay on Sunday left most of the business unfinished.