France, as the rotating chair of the Group of Seven (G7) in 2026, will host the G7 Summit from June 15th to 17th, inviting leaders from countries such as India, South Korea, Brazil, and Kenya as guests. The absence of South Africa and China, who have been traditionally invited, has raised concerns among observers.
According to a report from Reuters on Wednesday, the G7 Summit will be held in the southeastern French city of Evian-les-Bains, known for its Evian mineral water.
Paris has stated that the core goals of hosting this G7 Summit are to address global economic imbalances and prevent “large-scale financial crises.” France hopes to urge China to boost domestic demand, reduce harmful exports, encourage the United States to cut its fiscal deficit, and ask Europe to increase production and reduce savings.
Beijing, previously invited as a guest, will be absent from the G7 meeting this time. In the 2003 G7+1 (Russia) Summit in Evian, the then Chinese Communist Party leader Hu Jintao attended the expanded session.
French officials revealed to the media that they had tried to invite Beijing and contacted China through separate channels. A warning was issued to Beijing by French officials: “China faces the risk of seeing global and European markets closing to them.”
A spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Vincent Magwenya, stated on Wednesday that the French embassy in Pretoria informed the South African government about the US threatening to boycott the summit if South Africa was invited, leading France to withdraw the invitation to South Africa about two weeks ago.
The spokesperson said, “We accept France’s decision and understand the pressure they are under.”
An official from French President Emmanuel Macron’s office later denied this statement, explaining that Macron planned to visit Kenya later this year, so the invitation was redirected to Kenya, not due to pressure from the US.
Macron is expected to visit Kenya in May for the “France-Africa Summit.” The White House and the US State Department have yet to respond to requests for comments on this matter.
South Africa has been a regular participant in past G7 Summits. Since President Trump returned to the White House, US-South Africa relations have deteriorated. Trump has accused South Africa of carrying out genocide against white farm owners and criticized its relationship with Iran and Hamas.
Trump also boycotted the G20 Summit hosted by Ramaphosa in Johannesburg last November and excluded South Africa from this year’s G20 meeting in Miami.
The upcoming G7 Summit in France still faces several uncertainties. An advisor to Macron mentioned that US and Israeli potential conflict with Iran could overshadow the summit’s long-term agenda.
He said, “We do not know how the Iran crisis will develop by June, but regardless, we must address the consequences it has on energy and the economy.”
Furthermore, Trump’s attendance at the G7 is also uncertain. The day before the summit on June 14th is his 80th birthday, and the White House will be hosting a UFC championship event, considered a significant promotional activity for the US’s 250th anniversary.