China on Sunday pointedly cautioned Group of Seven leaders that the days when “small” groups of countries decided the fate of the world was long gone, hitting back at the world’s richest democracies which have sought a unified position over Beijing. “The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone,” a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London said. The G7 scheme would cover human rights, supply chains, support for Taiwan and demands to reveal more about the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. CompetitionSome G7 leaders, however, including Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, have urged US president Joe Biden not to push competition with China to the extent that it prevents co-operation on other vital issues such as the climate crisis. US officials said Mr Biden was pushing the other G7 leaders for “concrete action on forced labour” in China and to include criticism of Beijing in their final communique.

Source: The Irish Times June 13, 2021 07:16 UTC