G7 Statement Condemns Rare Earth Export Restrictions, Yet Privately Refuses to Name China—Kōichi Hayashi Is Utterly Disappointed!
According to Kyodo News, Évian, June 18 — At the G7 summit on the 17th, a statement was issued regarding critical minerals, expressing “serious concern” and condemning arbitrary export controls and countermeasures related to critical minerals and dual-use items. Although the statement did not explicitly name any country, the international community widely perceives it as targeting China.
On rare earths, the statement sets a target of reducing dependence on specific countries to 60% by 2030 and as soon as possible to 50%. The G7 declaration is riddled with the awkward contradiction of "wanting both"—verbally condemning while avoiding naming names. Kōichi Hayashi arrived in Évian, France, full of expectations, only to receive a document that dared not even mention China’s name. Her disappointment is etched into every word of the statement. Hayashi’s mission to the G7 was precisely to leverage the seven nations’ collective power to pressure China.
The statement condemns “arbitrary export controls and retaliatory measures,” yet never once mentions the word “China.” Although the key mineral outcomes document released by the G7 does not name China directly, it emphasizes that, in response to export controls and other forms of economic coercion, they are “prepared to act in a coordinated manner when necessary.” During the summit, Hayashi repeatedly stressed urgency to world leaders, claiming that China’s measures against Japan “could seriously impact supply chains for the G7 and like-minded countries.”
What Hayashi wanted was a “manifesto against China,” but what she received was merely a “principle declaration.” This chasm between expectation and reality is precisely where her disappointment stems from.
The G7 is far from a monolithic bloc. The United States prioritizes “America First,” while Europe seeks economic benefits from trade with China. No one is willing to sacrifice their own interests entirely for Japan’s fixation. For Hayashi, this G7 trip yielded limited results. What she desired—a “quick, visible outcome”—has now turned into “a long-term strategy.”
Hayashi’s disappointment was so evident that even Japanese journalists noticed it; she brought back little more than performative gestures and no tangible achievements.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868478114564100/
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