DURING his visit to Hiroshima on Saturday, U.S. President Joe Biden tweeted, “The G7 is more united than ever.” The tone of the rhetoric rang ironically amidst the summit which was full of drama. Drama No.1 is a detail — Biden carried a nuclear briefcase to Hiroshima, where the U.S. dropped the world’s first atomic bomb in 1945, and visited the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima on Friday to pay tribute to the bomb victims. American media outlets have tried to clarify that the briefcase, commonly referred to as the “nuclear football” or “nuclear button,” always accompanies the president on visits, both at home and abroad. It had appeared before in Hiroshima, with few people noticing it. However, this time, neither the U.S. nor Japan moved discreetly. The briefcase’s presence in a place that had been targeted with a nuclear weapon has drawn widespread attention from media outlets, and criticism from the Japanese public has been bubbling up. Some see the dark side of the friendship between Washington and Tokyo in this minor detail, with a sense of power struggle brewing. Against the backdrop of the geopolitical rivalry between China and the U.S., Japan has started to feel that its importance to the U.S. has increased, according to Shen Yi, a professor at Fudan University. Observers noticed that at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan took tentative steps toward the U.S., seeking an apology, playing the victim, and covering up its fascist history, aggressive wars against other countries, and the attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. side made it clear that Biden would not apologize for the Hiroshima bombing before the trip began. The U.S. President also publicly visited the peace memorial park with the nuclear briefcase, according to Japanese media reports. Innocent civilians did die because of the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan. However, the tragedy was initiated by Japan’s aggressive wars, which brought disasters to other countries and ultimately backfired. Instead of blurring the boundaries between its militaristic rule and innocent civilians, Japan should reflect on the consequences of its militarism. It should contemplate how to play a role for peace in the future and avoid being a source of conflict and trouble, commented Lyu Xiang, a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. When G7 leaders pledged their commitment Friday to achieving a world without nuclear weapons while ensuring security for all, they took aim at China, ridiculously claiming that China is accelerating its nuclear arsenal build-up without transparency, which “poses a threat to global and regional stability.” This is a false accusation, as China has far fewer nuclear warheads than the U.S., which possesses about 5,500 nuclear weapons and refuses to commit to no first use of them. In contrast, China is the only country among the five nuclear-weapon states that has pledged to “no first use” of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances. The G7 leaders can achieve “security for all” only by committing to being more responsible and focusing on cooperation on climate change, and promoting a post-pandemic global economic recovery. The G7’s recent actions, from the nuclear briefcase to hypocritical smears against China, illustrate controversy, drama, and their hidden political calculations. Japan serving food from Fukushima to G7 guests is an attempt to legitimize the country’s dumping of nuclear-contaminated water, adding to that drama. The world needs unity, but it is currently lacking within the G7. (Global Times) | 