Promising to “collectively catalyse” hundreds of billions of infrastructure investment for low- and middle-income countries, the G7 leaders said they would offer a “values-driven, high-standard and transparent” partnership. The White House said President Joe Biden and fellow leaders addressed “strategic competition” with Beijing on the second day of their three-day summit in Carbis Bay, southwest England. Britain meanwhile hailed G7 agreement on the “Carbis Bay Declaration” — a series of commitments to curb future pandemics after Covid-19 wrecked economies and claimed millions of lives around the world. The G7 leaders are expected to pledge to donate one billion vaccine doses to poor countries this year and next -- although campaigners say the rollout is much too slow to end the crisis sooner. Biden pushed also for G7 action against China’s alleged forced labour practices, including against the Uyghur minority.

Source: The Hindu June 12, 2021 13:32 UTC