When Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, welcomes Western leaders to the Group of Seven summit this week, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be front of mind. The summit, after all, is taking place in Hiroshima, where the U.S. dropped the first nuclear bomb in World War II, and all of the G7 countries — the U.S., the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada — have deplored Russia for its “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric” and military aggression.
But for Japan especially, the G7 represents another important opportunity: the chance to discuss economic security, which is broadly defined as the interaction between national security and economics.
Illustration by Nate Kitch
More in this series:
Rare Earth Reshore
The quest for economic security gave life to the G7 some 50 years ago. After the 1973
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from David Barboza, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Shanghai correspondent for The New York Times.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
As the Belt and Road Initiative gets ready to celebrate its 10th anniversary, Italy is looking for the off-ramp. Beijing's response, plus Italy's ability to negotiate a new deal for itself, will speak volumes about both China's standing in Europe and what the BRI, once seen as a colossus, has left to offer.