G7 leaders were expected to adopt a set of “common tools” on Saturday to address economic “coercion” and prevent technology exports to China from undermining its national security, a senior US official said.
Supply chains, sensitive technologies…
These measures should focus on building more resilient supply chains for the G7 countries, which are heavily dependent on China in some sectors, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in the Japanese city of Hiroshima, where the summit is held
The deal will also include measures “to protect sensitive technologies, such as export controls and provisions for foreign investment,” it added.
Washington has waged an intense campaign in recent months to restrict China’s access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing tools, citing national security concerns and pressuring Japan and the Netherlands to take similar steps.
Europe and the United States “aligned”
Jake Sullivan added that past differences between the United States and European Union countries over where to stand toward China have largely faded, and that the common strategy would emphasize the need to protect by avoiding a direct confrontation with Beijing.
This text will also specify the “concerns” of the G7 towards Beijing, “but these are well known to China”, he also declared, judging that the “intense” diplomacy carried out since the entry into office of US President Joe Biden in January 2021 resulted in a “alignment” of the G7 on this issue.
A European Union official also said the G7 was “ready to cooperate” and assess risks on strategic issues related to China.
A French diplomatic source judged for his part that the cohesion on China within the G7 had “really progressed”: “We are not in a situation in which, on the one hand, the United States is pressing for an ultra-aggressive strategy vis-à-vis China , and on the other hand, we are trying to counter that,” the source told AFP.
Source: BFM TV
