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After the tense discussions on Brexit and Northern Ireland, the leaders of the G7 displayed their unity on Saturday, June 12, the second day of their summit in Cornwall, in particular in the response to China in infrastructure.
With our special correspondent in Falmouth, Clea Broadhurst
Beijing is officially in the sights of the G7. While China was not mentioned three years ago in the summit’s communiques, it is now clearly presented as a rival, a competitor, even an adversary. And competition is at work to revive a “greener” economy.
The seven are going to invest massively 100 billion dollars a year in the infrastructure of disadvantaged countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Initiative for a greener future, of course, but also a way to thwart China’s progress. Launched by Joe Biden, the project is called ” Build Back Better World “(Better rebuild the world) or” B3W “: It must compete with the” New Silk Roads “, these massive investments from Beijing to increase its influence abroad.
This Chinese project was launched in 2013 by the President Xi Jinping. In 2020, more than 2,600 projects representing a total of nearly 3,000 billion euros, would be linked to the “Silk Roads”. Nearly 100 countries have already signed agreements with Beijing to develop rail links, ports, highways or other types of infrastructure. Except that sometimes problems of over-indebtedness appear.
► To read also : Investments, debts: what is the reality of the Chinese presence in Africa?
« Not led by a small group of countries »
The Chinese reaction to the G7 initiative was not long in coming. ” The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone. », a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in London said.
The G7, this club of the richest liberal democracies, does not please Beijing at all. Already the summit had targeted its recent “vaccine diplomacy”, since China alone has exported almost as many vaccines as Europe.
Faced with the response of Western countries against its “New Silk Roads”, Beijing is championing multilateralism. « We have always believed that countries, big or small, powerful or weak, poor or rich, are equal and that world affairs should be dealt with through consultations among all countries. »
What beautiful sentences in this press release, emphasizes Simon Leplâtre, our correspondent in Shanghai: they would almost make you forget that the country of Xi Jinping is slowly taking control of the South China Sea, by imposing itself by force, against its weaker neighbors.
► To read also: Investments, debts: what is the reality of the Chinese presence in Africa?
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