Expanding G-7: Now, Russia pitches for China's inclusion

The politics over the expansion of G-7 is heating up. It has been reduced to a symbolic global body during the pandemic.

It now wants to be substantive, leading the bid for its revival is the United States. Trumpmade the first move, he thinks the body has become outdated and that it has failed to reflect the present international scenario.

The G-7 is an inter-governmental economic organization which consists of the seven largest and advanced economies in the world - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

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It exchanges ideas on possible solutions to a global economic crisis and discusses matters of mutual interest.

So why are nations like India and China not a member of the body? After all, they are the world's second and fifth largest economies respectively. The reason that has been given till date is the relatively low level of wealth per head of population.

A reason that apparently makes these two nations - India and China - not deemed to be advanced economiesbut now the United States wants to change this. It wants to expand the body to a G-11 in all likelihood.

The seven economies that are right now a part of this body were amongst the most advanced when the group was establishedbut over the years economies like India, China, Australia and Russia and some others have developed into major economic forces.

So, America wants these economies to sit on the high table. It has invited more guests like India, Australia, Russia and South Korea. America wants to leave China out for obvious reasons and the United Kingdom and Canada agree.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the British PM Boris Johnson are with US over keeping China out of the economic high table. South Korea hasn't taken any side, the rest too have chosen to stay neutral. One country thinks this is unfair, China's immediate neighbour and once America's biggest foe - Russia.

It has agreed to the expansion of G7 but not without China. Maria Zakharova, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson said: "The idea of an expanded G-7 summit is a step in the right direction but does not really mean a true representation."

"It is obvious that it is hardly possible to implement serious global initiatives without China," the foreign ministry spokesman asserted.

Moscow is purposely pretending to miss the point - America's point is to punish China for lying about the pandemic and sending the global economies into disarray, however. Russia just doesn't agree. Also, it hasn't forgotten how it was removed from the body in 2014 after it captured the Crimea region in Ukraine and was shown the door.

Six years have passed and a lot has changed. China is now the biggest enemy for America - the self-proclaimed leader of the G-7. It wants to win over Russia while cornering the Chinese regime. Moscow has been unrelenting in its pursuit.