G7 summit ‘free world’ loses its leader becomes g6

G7 summit ‘free world’ loses its leader becomes g6

The first meet of the leading western powers after US President Donald Trump’s election, the G7’s Taormina summit, saw the collapse of the erstwhile ‘free world’ wrought during the cold war. Russia will celebrate, but not as delightedly as China. The meet saw the US and the remaining six disagree on how to deal with globalisation, differing on climate change, trade, migration, and on dealing with rule-breakers such as Russia, whom the G7 had sanctioned for annexing Crimea.
The differences are on expected lines. The Trump administration’s conviction that the US does much more for the world than it should was evident at the meet. On trade and more explicitly on climate change, the US has chosen to tread a separate path. The G7 communiqué records the US’ “inability to join the consensus” supporting the Paris Agreement. On trade, the leaders of the G6 were able to get in language against protectionism while committing to adopt appropriate policies to help all firms and citizens to make the most of the global economy. Migration was another issue on which a strong resolution was not possible, with the US opposing the idea of free movement. The outcome of the G7’s Taormina meet provides a clear indication of what the US position would be on key issues that will come up for discussion at the G20 meet in Germany next month.
The growing interdependence of nations and their peoples under globalisation calls for greater coordination among national governments, to build towards a modicum of global governance. The G7 and the G20 determine how and on what terms that would proceed. US isolationism disrupts the earlier process. Rising powers like China and India would have a greater say in shaping its successor process. It is a challenge India must rise to; China certainly will.