Trade ministers from the Group of Seven (G-7) have agreed to collaborate on imposing export controls for key technologies that may have military and surveillance applications. The move reflects concerns that nations such as China may misuse these tools. The G-7 group, composed of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US and the European Union, stated that export controls are key in counteracting the diversion of critical technology and misuse. The ministers underlined the need to use export restrictions to tackle the misuse of said technologies by malicious actors. The group also expressed concern over the use of economic power to affect the actions of other countries. Amid complex international tensions, including the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine, the G-7 is concerned with Russia’s attempts to exploit Europe’s dependence on its natural resources. The use of China’s economic might has also aroused concern among countries in the Indo-Pacific region. G-7 ministers acknowledged the importance of building resilient supply chains and expressed the need to collaborate with non-G-7 countries, particularly emerging and developing nations that are significant players in global supply chains. The ministers stressed that the principles of transparency, reliability, trustworthiness and diversification are important for building robust supply chains. Japanese economy, trade and industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said that the group aims to widen discussions on these underlying principles to countries outside the G-7, including emerging nations in the global south.
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