Todd Bishop
I still remember the summit in Canada in 2018. The photo of Angela Merkel and US President Trump’s confrontation became the focus of the summit and also exposed the crack between the United States and other member states.
The Group of G7 Summit in 2019 was held in Biarritz, a French seaside town, from August 24th to 26th. French President Emmanuel Macron chose to address global inequality as the focus of the summit, but in the face of Trump, which insisted on “US priority,” the summit was another “stress test” in the seven countries. Britain’s new prime minister, Boris Johnson, officially debuted on the international stage for the first time and also taught the EU to be nervous.
After Russia was kicked out of the group, the G7 countries left Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The EU is also a member, but will not host the summit.
After Trump took office, he added “excellent” dramas to the G7 summit from time to time, including photos of Merkel and Trump during the 2018 summit. The Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) reported on the 20th that the summit may not reach a joint declaration. For the first time in 44 years, it can be described as “not excited before starting.”
Digital tax dispute economic issues into focus
Euronews reported that economists estimate that the summit will discuss international economic issues, including technology, trade and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), such as Sino-US trade and trade relations between Europe and the United States, and the successor of the president of the International Monetary Fund. Facebook’s new virtual currency LibraThere are also opportunities to appear on the agenda.
Among them, the more attention is paid to the issue of digital taxation. The French Senate passed a digital tax in July and was accused of targeting US technology companies, which attracted strong dissatisfaction from the United States. Trump threatened to retaliate against French red wine. After the end of the G7 finance ministers meeting in July, France announced the summary of the meeting, referring to the finance minister’s consensus on international taxation. It is estimated that leaders will continue to discuss digital tax during the summit.
The differences between Trump and other member states will once again be displayed in the eyes of everyone. Trump has repeatedly criticized Germany’s defense spending for the goal of the NATO agreement, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to face another pressure from Trump. The US’s tough stance toward Iran and the ups and downs of Sino-US trade, the six countries seem to have no “topics.”
Johnson is grandly present in the EU
“New Ding” Johnson will also be the focus of the summit. The Guardian quoted EU diplomats as saying that British officials are coordinating with EU officials to discuss how to properly state the Sino-US trade war and the Iranian nuclear deal and to study the correct wording of the Hong Kong issue. However, the EU is still nervous about Johnson’s first official appearance on the international stage.
The UK government and EU leaders currently have a very low level of mutual trust. There are concerns that Johnson will blame Brussels for the Brexit deadlock during the summit and further increase the crisis of no agreement to leave the EU. Brussels has done its utmost to fulfill the EU’s responsibilities and to avoid the resurgence of former Prime Minister Wen Cuishan at the Salzburg summit. An EU official said that the cold attitude will be self-defeating, but Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council who admitted to attending the summit, is not always on the rules.
Johnson also began to take another step, talking to Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and Tusk, and met with Mark Long and Merkel. An EU diplomat who participated in the Brexit negotiations described the relevant meeting and the Biarritz summit as a review of reality.
