The Group of Seven (G7) summit ended in the UK on Sunday on a markedly different note from those rancorous ones previously attended by Donald Trump. There was no longer a US president clamoring to invite Russia back into the club, nor was the US president being “besieged” by the six other nations on issues such as environmental protection. On the surface, this summit has signaled a return to the close alliance between the US and Europe. Still, times have changed, and the good old days when the US and Europe were thick as thieves might not be seen anymore. Hidden behind the cordial atmosphere of the summit were petty calculations made by every country and some kind of re-adjustment and re-accommodation to this traditional alliance.

For US President Joe Biden, the only important task in his first foreign visit after taking office was to declare in front of the US’s major allies at the G7 summit that “America is back”. He was eager to demonstrate to the world the US’s resolve and ability to lead the global order again so as to unite the US’s allies and deter China and Russia, its two major foes. With this end in view, Biden made some forceful moves on a number of issues during this trip.

On the most urgent global issue currently, i.e., the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the US first announced the donation of 500 million doses of vaccine to low-income countries before the summit. During the summit, the US succeeded in clinching a pledge by the G7 nations to donate a total of one billion doses. These moves were made not only out of consideration for global public health but also seemingly to counter China’s vaccine diplomacy. On the equally pressing issue of global warming, Biden has put things to rights by putting the US’s cooperation with its allies on emission reduction back on the agenda. Accelerating the phasing out of the use of coal for electricity generation was high on the summit’s environmental protection agenda, and that also involved some calculations about competing with China for the say in the issue of environmental protection. As for global economic recovery, Biden also took the opportunity to elevate his ambitious domestic infrastructural plan to the international level. Together with his G7 allies, he launched the “Build Back Better World, B3W” initiative, pledging to step up support for backward countries by way of infrastructural investment and assistance so that they can develop in a way that conforms to democratic values. The intention to challenge the Belt and Road Initiative is obvious. On a number of issues, Biden has adopted a posture of going head-to-head with China. He clearly sees China as a challenger to the US’s status, and has made it clear that the US is ready to lead the democratic world to meet its challenges. He also hopes to present an image of a united alliance to gain the upper hand over Vladimir Putin, another adversary of his, before meeting him tomorrow.

The US’s allies have viewed “America’s return” promoted by Biden positively, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is particularly enthusiastic about it. Britain is eager to consolidate its international status in the post-Brexit era. Johnson had met with Biden before the summit, reiterating the special transatlantic relationship between the two countries and signing a new Atlantic Charter together. All these moves are aimed at consolidating the Anglo-American alliance so that the UK can still advance its agenda after Brexit in partnership with the US.

However, although France and Germany, the two powers of the EU, have also welcomed the “return of the US”, their attitudes have been relatively ambiguous. French President Emmanuel Macron stated before the summit that, under France’s Indo-Pacific strategy, the country would not become a vassal of China, nor would it forge an alliance with the US of its own volition. He also hoped that the EU would adopt the same attitude. Macron also made it clear that Russia was the most pressing threat to Europe and called on NATO to keep its defense focused on the Atlantic. Judging from the results of the summit and its joint communiqué, which touches on human rights issues in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, what Macron said does not mean that Europe, led by France and Germany, is ignorant about the challenges posed by China. After all, Biden’s several key plans against China have all been supported by his European allies. However, having gone through the Trump era and Brexit, Europe is increasingly eager to be the master of its own destiny. Guided by the principle of diplomatic autonomy, Europe inevitably views Russia as its biggest threat. This is why Europe hopes that it will be given room for maneuver when it comes to countering China. It is not willing to overreach itself. It wants to avoid being passively involved in the US’s actions against China, which could weaken its ability to resist Russia.

The G7 summit shows that US-Europe relations are still based on their shared democratic values and remain quite stable. Europe will still try its best to deal with China’s challenges in whatever areas it can do so. But it prefers to adopt a case-by-case approach, with Europe’s interest as a top priority. Still, the shared democratic values mean that the US and Europe will take a similar stance towards China, and the only differences between them will be what kind of action should come of it and how much should be done. All sides are still accustoming themselves to this new mode of cooperation and alliance. But the overall trend of China being under all kinds of pressure from the US, Europe and their allies in the Asia Pacific will remain unchanged.

(Lam Hoi is a journalist)

This article is translated from Chinese by Apple Daily.

Click here for Chinese version

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