Hiroshima: In order to attend the yearly Group of 7 summit meeting, which starts tomorrow in Hiroshima, President Biden departed for Japan this afternoon. The main industrial democracies' leaders will talk about initiatives to maintain the stability of the world economy.
But this year, the United States may pose the biggest threat to that stability. The U.S. will be two weeks away from a potential debt default when Biden shows up, which could send its economy into a recession and shake the other nations at the table.
As he was about to board his flight, Biden expressed his confidence that "America will not default." His upbeat attitude was a response to the White House sending two aides to talk with Republicans about a deal to raise the debt ceiling. A complex, improbable plan by House Democrats to force a vote on raising the limit was advanced almost simultaneously.
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The G7 leaders will also pay attention to China and Ukraine. According to our colleague David Sanger, "The real question is whether or not Biden can get a full agreement among the Western allies who will be present at the G7 about what the future of Ukraine and Russia should look like." "How to deal with China and the threat posed by its economic, technological, and military rise will be the other major issue."
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US Vice President Joe Biden left behind tense discussions with Republican opponents in Washington on preventing a US debt default when he arrived in Japan on Thursday to attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
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Just south of Hiroshima, at the US Marine Corps base of Iwakuni, where the G7 leaders will meet through Sunday, Air Force One touched down. In order to address the debt ceiling crisis, Biden will then return to Washington, skipping previously scheduled stops in Papua New Guinea and Australia.