Kishida, counterparts from G-7 to issue statement on economic coercion

Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida and his counterparts from the Group of Seven (G7) leading democracies are seeking to issue a separate statement with language opposing "economic coercion," with China in mind, said the officials familiar with the matter, as cited by Kyodo News.

According to the officials, the statement, if it is released following the conclusion of the G7 summit in Hiroshima on May 21, will emphasise the significance of strengthening supply chains for crucial industrial materials, such as semiconductors, and criticise using economic means in pursuit of political objectives, as per Kyodo News.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it is almost certain that the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States, as well as the European Union, will mention the issue in their main communique. However, they intend to express their views in more detail in a separate document, according to Kyodo News.

At a time when many countries consider that some countries' foreign policy has evolved to include economic pressure against trading partners, the release of the envisaged appendix would signify a step further than earlier undertakings by the group.

In the weeks leading up to the summit, similar issues had dominated G7 ministerial meetings which were held under the presidency of Japan, including its three-day gathering of finance chiefs that concluded in Niigata on Saturday, Kyodo News reported.

The Group of Seven comprises the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the European Union.

Japan assumed the G7 Presidency in 2023. More than 10 ministerial meetings are scheduled to take place in Japan, and the G7 Summit will be held in Hiroshima.

On April 15-16, G7 Ministers' meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment will be held in Sapporo City. From April 16-18, the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting will be held in Karuizawa, Nagano. On April 22-23, the G7 Kurashiki Labour and Employment Ministers' meeting will be held in Kurashiki City.

The G7 Agriculture Ministers' meeting will be held at Miyazaki City on April 22-23. The G7 Digital and Tech Ministers' meeting is scheduled to take place on April 29-30 at Takasaki City.

Meanwhile, G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors' meeting was held in Niigata from May 11 to 13.

The G7 Science and Technology Ministers' meeting will be held on May 12-14 in Sendai City. The dates for G7 Education Ministers' meeting are May 12-15.

Other important G7 meetings will be held all round year and the last, G7 Interior and Security Ministers' Meeting, is expected to take place on December 8-10 in Mito, Ibaraki.