G-7 Rivals China With Grand Infrastructure Plan

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Council President Charles Michel, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pose for a group photo at the G7 summit, in Carbis Bay, Britain, on June 11, 2021. Patrick Semansky/Pool/Reuters

CARBIS BAY, England–The Group of Seven (G-7) richest democracies on June 12 sought to counter China’s growing influence by offering developing nations an infrastructure plan that would rival Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road initiative.

The G-7, whose leaders are meeting in southwestern England, has been searching for a coherent response to the growing assertiveness of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).