May 11, Thursday, 2023

1. Beijing is looking to deepen ties with Paris amid growing pressure from the West. China’s foreign minister met his French counterpart on Wednesday. He stressed the need to build a more resilient Sino-French supply chain. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his French counterpart Catherine Colonna discussed a number of issues. They said the two sides should work together to address global challenges, including the war in Ukraine.
2.Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says Japan, as this year’s Group of Seven chair, must take a leadership role in setting global rules for generative artificial intelligence. Kishida on Thursday attended the first meeting of a new government council on AI strategy. It is tasked with discussing the country’s policies on generative AI from the standpoint of promoting its effective use and addressing concerns. 3. US President Joe Biden has hinted that he may virtually attend next week’s Group of Seven Summit in Hiroshima. This comes as Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, remain divided on whether to raise the federal government’s debt limit to avoid the risk of a default.