G7 summit, Quad bolster the security of democracies

China’s bitterly abusive response to the joint communique issued by G7 leaders at the end of their summit in Hiroshima was glaring confirmation, if any was needed, of the summit’s success. It achieved a united response from the world’s leading democracies, both to China’s constantly coercive behaviour and to Russia’s assault on Ukraine. In its statement, China complained about G7 “smears” and an alleged attempt to “brazenly interfere in China’s internal affairs”. China, it declared, “has made serious démarches to the summit’s host, Japan, and other parties concerned. Gone are the days when a handful of Western countries can just wilfully meddle in other countries’ internal affairs and manipulate global affairs”.

The invective left no doubt about the success of the summit in nailing China and Russia as the principal threats to global security, highlighting the fact they are uniting the world’s leading democracies. Despite Australia not being a G7 member but an invitee, Anthony Albanese made a significant contribution, hosting a meeting of leaders of the Quad (Australia, the US, Japan and India) held on the sidelines of the main G7. That meeting reaffirmed the Quad’s joint commitment to “oppose unilateral actions seeking to change the status quo by force” in the Indo-Pacific. If Beijing and Moscow believed, as their propaganda machines claimed, that the cancellation of the Quad summit that was supposed to be held in Sydney would cast a cloud over co-operation among the Quad, events in Hiroshima showed how wrong they were. The next Quad meeting will be in India, reinforcing its Quad commitment.

In an important bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden, Mr Albanese received an apology for the cancellation of the Sydney summit and an assurance that the US President would ask the US congress to add Australia as a “domestic source” within the meaning of Title III of the Defence Production Act. “Doing so would streamline technological and industrial base collaboration, accelerate and strengthen AUKUS implementation, and build new opportunities for US investment in the production and purchase of Australian critical minerals, critical technologies and other strategic sectors,” they said in a joint statement. Mr Biden said the deal – called the Australia-United States Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact – would establish climate and clean energy as the third pillar of the Australia-US alliance.

Hours after spruiking his green economy agreement with the US, Mr Albanese attempted to assure Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that Australia was committed to remaining a reliable supplier of fossil fuels and iron ore to Japan amid rising “sovereign risk” fears among Tokyo industry and energy companies. Australia supplies 70 per cent of Japan’s coal, 60 per cent of its iron ore and 40 per cent of its gas.

On the wider strategic front, the G7 accorded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a hero’s welcome, with Mr Biden telling him, “We are with you, at your side, for however long it takes”. Mr Zelensky’s attendance coincided with the announcement that after months of uncertainty, Washington has decided to give the go-ahead for the supply to Kyiv of F-16 fighters and the training of pilots. That decision is likely to have a major impact on the war and add significantly to Kyiv’s ability to push the marauding Russians back.

G7 leaders also issued a strong, detailed rejection of China’s aggression in the South China Sea and its use of “economic coercion”, like that against Australia in trade sanctions. “We reiterate the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” they said. “We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.”

The summit also expressed concern about human rights in China, demanded Beijing abide by commitments over Hong Kong’s autonomy, and called on Beijing to “press Russia to stop its military aggression and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine”. The febrile Chinese response doubtless means Beijing will do no such thing. That should not stop the leaders of the world’s democracies from seeking ways to enforce the sense of purpose and unity they achieved. Even French President Emmanuel Macron, who in April controversially suggested that Europe should maintain its “strategic autonomy” and avoid becoming “America’s followers” over China, particularly in relation to Taiwan, supported the communique. Henry Kissinger, who celebrates his 100th birthday next weekend, told The Economist last week he feared a “great power confrontation” between the US and China. He is not alone. The strongest counter to such a prospect is the sense of purpose achieved in Hiroshima.

For Australia, the outcome of the Hiroshima summit was vitally important. We are far from alone in the threat we face from China and in our determination to ensure Beijing’s malign attempts to coerce other nations do not become a contagion in the Indo-Pacific region. The resolute messages that resonated from the G7 should not be lost on either Beijing or Moscow.