G7 and China are competing to define global governance

Both seek to establish what the world’s problems are, which institutions should address them, and whose priorities should shape the solutions

    • View of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Both the G7 and China care about resilience, development, multilateralism and stability.
    • View of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Both the G7 and China care about resilience, development, multilateralism and stability. PHOTO: REUTERS
    Published Tue, Jun 30, 2026 · 12:16 PM

    THE near-simultaneous release of the Group of Seven Evian statements and China’s white paper on global governance marks a revealing moment in international politics.

    China and the G7 are increasingly competing not only over policy choices, but also the narrative to define what the world’s problems are, which institutions should address them, and whose priorities should shape the solutions.

    At Evian, G7 leaders adopted nine statements covering the realms of geopolitics, global economic growth, critical minerals, development partnerships, digital safety, health, migration and transnational crime.