More cold spots than any fiery solutions but the G7 gets its publicity and manages to provide a sense of solemnity whenever it meets.
It was a predictable first day dedicated to a show of solidarity and though the world economy and the call for fiscal stimulus was open to debate the Chinese making waves in the South and East China seas and the territorial disputes with Far East nations including G7 hosts Japan.
The spark was dispatched by China protesting against the G7 club of which it is not a member, saying the support for each other or the display of common purpose was irrelevant since the G7 had nothing to do with the disputes.
US President Barack Obama struck a placatory note but China’s response did put the G7 a bit on the back-foot as it dredged for virtue in what it labelled as the softening in China’s stance.
Obama, now swiftly moving into the lameduck phase of his presidency took advantage of the occasion to fling a few barbs at Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, saying the man had made a lot of the proposals which display either ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude.”
To add a dollop of sour cream on it, Obama said Trumps run had rattled a lot of leaders globally who were ostensibly getting increasingly concerned about what Trump might bring to the table if he gets into the White House.
While the G7 summits are pleasant little get togethers with the member nations neatly tying it all up with common voice and purpose the burr under the saddle is the isolation of North Korea and the unpredictability of Kim Jong-Un, especially with the fear of a nuclear incident.
Obama voiced this unspoken fear quite clearly and sought no refuge in diplomatic niceties. American presidents are known to grasp the nettle and say it as they see it in this phase of their tenures.
The two-day Group of Seven (G7) summit started at Ise-Shima in Japan on Thursday. The meeting is being attended by G7 country heads: US President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe playing Chairman.
Other subjects discussed at five subsequent sessions were terrorism, the refugee crisis and climate change.
Not much that is time-bound or tangible will be achieved but it is a good feel 48 hours of the richest nations on earth and a chance to chew the fat and project a combined sense of responsibility for the rest of the planet and its hot spots. Without any particular deadlines offered the event becomes just a party.
It was a predictable first day dedicated to a show of solidarity and though the world economy and the call for fiscal stimulus was open to debate the Chinese making waves in the South and East China seas and the territorial disputes with Far East nations including G7 hosts Japan.
The spark was dispatched by China protesting against the G7 club of which it is not a member, saying the support for each other or the display of common purpose was irrelevant since the G7 had nothing to do with the disputes.
US President Barack Obama struck a placatory note but China’s response did put the G7 a bit on the back-foot as it dredged for virtue in what it labelled as the softening in China’s stance.
Obama, now swiftly moving into the lameduck phase of his presidency took advantage of the occasion to fling a few barbs at Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, saying the man had made a lot of the proposals which display either ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude.”
To add a dollop of sour cream on it, Obama said Trumps run had rattled a lot of leaders globally who were ostensibly getting increasingly concerned about what Trump might bring to the table if he gets into the White House.
While the G7 summits are pleasant little get togethers with the member nations neatly tying it all up with common voice and purpose the burr under the saddle is the isolation of North Korea and the unpredictability of Kim Jong-Un, especially with the fear of a nuclear incident.
Obama voiced this unspoken fear quite clearly and sought no refuge in diplomatic niceties. American presidents are known to grasp the nettle and say it as they see it in this phase of their tenures.
The two-day Group of Seven (G7) summit started at Ise-Shima in Japan on Thursday. The meeting is being attended by G7 country heads: US President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe playing Chairman.
Other subjects discussed at five subsequent sessions were terrorism, the refugee crisis and climate change.
Not much that is time-bound or tangible will be achieved but it is a good feel 48 hours of the richest nations on earth and a chance to chew the fat and project a combined sense of responsibility for the rest of the planet and its hot spots. Without any particular deadlines offered the event becomes just a party.
