G7 holds a summit in Hiroshima, Japan

The G7 summit was held on 19th – 21st of May in Hiroshima, Japan. G7 comprises of the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Additionally, mainly leaders of oppressed countries were invited as guests, including among others Ukraine, Brazil, Comoros for the African Union, Cook Islands for the Pacific Forum, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam. Ahead of the meeting themes of weapon deliveries, financial aid for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, ”deterrence strategy towards China” and issues of nuclear weapons were raised above all.

Regarding Ukraine, the G7 announced new sanctions against Russia and the US released new plans of delivering weapons and other military aid to Ukraine. Also a ”long-term support” which would secure that the war does not end to a ”frozen conflict”, was proposed. The US endorsed giving Ukrainian pilots training for the yankee F-16 fighter jets, even though the delivery of these planes have not been agreed upon. Currently, the fleet of the Ukrainian military consists mostly of planes from the era of Soviet social-imperialism. The delivery of the F-16 fighter jets, generally used by NATO countries, would demonstrate ”a powerful political and diplomatic collaboration across multiple Western (and especially NATO) countries” according to analysts, having especially political value of further increasing the influence of especially US imperialism in Ukraine. However, analysts point out that the fighter jets would not have so much value for the combat. Russia has said that the delivery and use of F-16 jets in the battlefield would raise the question of direct involvement of NATO against Russia, which is why especially second-ranked imperialists like German imperialism are still hesitant to get behind the delivery of the planes themselves – Olaf Scholz was quoted praising the decision of giving training for pilots as a ”strong message” for Russia “to not prolong the war”.

In the meeting, the US raised its concerns of ”economic coercion” and ”malign practices” of China, raising the issue of answering this ”threat”. Also the issue of Taiwan was raised. However despite these words, the decisions made were careful, lacking concrete measures and talking about how it is necessary to engage with China economically. Especially the French president Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz gave statements in favor of being careful with China and continuing the trade with China. China issued a statement, saying that the meeting was slandering it and interfering with its internal issues, and calling out the “coercion” of the US towards it.

In both of these questions, the presence of especially Brazil and India were highlighted as important by the imperialists. They wanted these countries to “unite” more against Russia and China – to be subjected more under mainly US imperialism but also other “Western” imperialists.

The question of nuclear weapons and “peace” was also presented, in a formal and empty way – with the ”symbolism” of holding the summit in Hiroshima, which was reduced to ashes by US imperialism 78 years ago. Especially Japan, a second-ranked imperialist power which does not have nuclear weapons, had spoken in favor of more control of nuclear weapons. But also in this, little concrete measures were taken. Other than talking about the threat of the nuclear weapons of Russia, the three countries holding nuclear weapons of the G7 – the US, UK and France – gave a promise to work for a world without nuclear weapons. On this hypocrisy, a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing said: ”He [Biden] had the opportunity [to apologize for the bombing], but he didn’t. This time, too, in the joint statement or communiqué, he kept criticizing the Russians, the Chinese or North Korea. And why do they fail to look at themselves with a critical eye (…)?”

This anger against the imperialist summit, which talks loudly about peace, while conspiring for more war, and deploying thousands of police to the streets, was also expressed by hundreds of protesters in Hiroshima. In Kyoto, Japan, activists from Japan, the Philippines and Korea held a People’s Summit which exposed the role of G7 in the wars driven by US imperialism. Also in the Philippines, progressive organizations held a rally in Quezon City against the summit after a forum which discussed the role and history of US imperialism in armed conflicts around the world.