VOA News | Friday, June 14, 2024 
G7 leaders focus on Russia, Chinese trade practices, AI ethics

Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies aim Friday to forge a united stand on economic security threats they say China poses to the global economy — including its overcapacity in electric vehicles, support for Russia’s war machine and its trade and investment practices in developing countries. U.S. President Joe Biden is pushing his G7 counterparts to apply maximum pressure on these issues, as they meet for a second day in Borgo Egnazia, a luxury resort in Apuglia, Italy, hosted by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. How far the group would go will not be clear until leaders release their final communique. China is supplying the ability and technology to produce weapons for Russia, Biden said during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Thursday evening. “So, it is, in fact, helping Russia,” he said. Beijing’s support for the Russian defense industrial base is a “critical issue” not only in terms of Moscow’s Ukraine war but in that it could “pose a long-term threat to Europe’s security,” a senior Biden administration official told reporters traveling with the president on Friday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic matters. Earlier this week, the U.S. announced secondary sanctions targeting those helping Moscow’s military industrial base, including China-based companies that sell…Read more