China cautions G7: ‘Small’ groups don’t rule the world

Reuters: China on Sunday pointedly cautioned Group of Seven (G7) 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 that 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.

“We always believe that countries, big or small, strong or weak, poor or rich, are equals, and that world affairs should be handled through consultation by all countries.”

The re-emergence of China as a leading global power is considered to be one of the most significant geopolitical events of recent times, alongside the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union that ended the Cold War.

The G7, whose leaders are meeting in southwestern England, has been searching for a coherent response to the growing assertiveness of President Xi Jinping after China’s spectacular economic and military rise over the past 40 years.

Leaders of the group – the US, Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, France and Japan – want to use their gathering in the English seaside resort of Carbis Bay to show the world that the richest democracies can offer an alternative to China’s growing clout.