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The annual G8 summit will be staged from tomorrow in Scotland, Britain. Since it is a gathering of leaders from current world powers and matters for discussion have global effects, it is naturally the focus of the world.
This meeting will also have a direct impact on the interests of the nations taking part, so horse-trading has already been going on in the wings for some time.
Besides the central summit meeting, the G8 nations will hold talks with leaders of five major developing countries China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico. Some leaders of other African countries have also been invited.
As the current rotating chair nation, Britain has decided eliminating Africa's poverty and dealing with global climate change are the two key topics for discussion. Britain hopes an agreement on the program for fighting poverty it proposed will be reached at the summit.
The G8 gathering, like that of any other international organization, is also an arena for wrangling over national interests.
Though Britain is a cast iron ally of the US, US President George W Bush only paid lip service to British Prime Minister Tony Blair's plan. In comparison with the US$300 billion Washington has spent on its anti-terrorism war in Afghanistan and Iraq, Bush only promised to add US$674 million of aid to Africa. Africa is not the focus of Washington's global strategy.
Bush did not express much interest in Blair's call for strengthened international cooperation on tackling global warming. He recently sent a clear signal that Washington has no plans to ink the Kyoto Protocol.
It is safe to suppose that without the support of the US, Blair will find it difficult to push his agenda on aid to Africa and global warming.
Of course, Britain has achieved a lot by making so much effort. The meeting of financial ministers was concluded on June 11, and consensus on reducing Africa's debt was reached.
According to this agreement, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Fund will immediately exempt the 18 poorest African countries from US$40 billion of debt, bringing forth praise from many African countries as the exemption will help the development of African economies.
Nevertheless, compared to the total debt of US$295 billion, the waived debt is still a relatively small sum.
Although exempting debt can stimulate the economies of these poor nations, they will nevertheless probably have to apply for fresh loans to stimulate growth.
In addition, exempting debt also means greater risk as richer nations are not likely to continue to provide so much funding for international financial institutions, therefore reducing loan availability.
More importantly, the G8 will waive debts according to whether a democratic system has been adopted. Both the American and British leaders agreed that "corrupt" African countries could not be included on the list.
It is Western countries that judge whether another nation is corrupt or not. This provides an opportunity for Western countries to interfere with the internal affairs of African nations via debt negotiations.
The dialogue between the G8 and the five developing countries will enhance mutual understanding and cooperation between the northern and southern hemispheres.
The representatives from Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRICs) were invited to take part in the June meeting of financial ministers in London. This is the so-called G7-BRICs dialogue, which indicates that the G7 have realized they are no longer an elite club controlling world economic policy. In reality, BRICs is becoming the new force pushing forward the development of the global economy and their voices cannot be ignored.
Without BRICs, it would be hard to discuss many world matters. Though Western powers hope developing countries will contribute to solving the poverty crisis in Africa, they would prefer developing countries to take action to contain the effects of global warming.
In fact the two sides have conflicting interests over this matter. Developing countries regard stimulating their economy and improving living standards as primary goals. They ask for the right to develop naturally, and point out the responsibility developed nations should take for their own industrial discharge over the years.
Without the participation of developing countries, solving problems posed by climate change would become internal affairs of developed nations. Hence developed countries put pressure on developing countries.
Inviting China to the G8 meeting demonstrates the nation's important position in the world economy.
As China's economic strength has grown, the most developed industrialized nations have been forced to listen to the country when they discuss key matters and think up the rules of engagement in terms of economic development, trade, financial policy and exchange rates.
One of the purposes of China's participation in the North-South dialogue is to promote communication and cooperation over key international issues and common challenges facing mankind.
China has attached great importance to cooperation with the G8 and has actively participated in related activities.
In striving to create an equal, just and reasonable new world economic order, China needs to coordinate and cooperate with developed countries in the West.
Moreover, China also needs to strengthen communication and cooperation with the G8 in terms of peace and development.
By actively participating in multinational cooperation, China can not only safeguard its own interests, but also play a constructive role in formulating international strategies.
As the largest developing country, China can express the desires and demands of all developing countries in making, revising and implementing international policies.
But as China's development still has a long way to go, it is not in China's interests to join any organization that would mean sharing responsibility and obligation that is not matched by economic strength.
The G8 seemingly has not yet reached consensus on how to develop relations with China. Some countries, represented by France and Germany, think if China is excluded, the group's effectiveness could be questioned and criticized.
The strategy of cooperation while keeping its distance will both ensure China's relative independence and help the nation avoid being marginalized.
(China Daily July 5, 2005)
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