China's rising clout spotlighted at finance chief meetings before G7 Summit

Honduras Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina Garcia, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, raise a toast following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, at a ceremony in Beijing, March 26, 2023. [AP Photo]

The weekend gathering of finance chiefs from the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies did not single out China as a threat in their communique, but left signs the world's second-largest economy will loom large at this week's summit in Hiroshima.

Efforts to grapple with China's growing global presence were evident at the three-day G7 finance chiefs' gathering in Niigata, Japan, during which they held their first outreach in 14 years, aimed at winning over emerging nations.