Rich countries unite against China ... sort of

ADAM CANCRYN and DOUG PALMER

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President Joe Biden and fellow G7 leaders agree that China poses a grave threat to their economies.

But behind the group’s collective bravado on “getting tough” with China, the countries still have varying appetites for how far to actually go in challenging a world superpower — differences that some officials worry could dent the coalition’s ability to fend off Beijing’s advances.

The G7 on Friday will try to paper over those lingering divides, coalescing behind a series of initiatives aimed at ratcheting up attention on China’s trade and investment in developing countries around the globe.

That comes after the U.S. has sought to apply maximum pressure on the Chinese in recent years, hitting Beijing with heavy tariffs and accusing it of unfair trade practices. While Europe harbors its own deep concerns about China’s expanding power, it has taken a more cautious approach, tempered by concerns about its own vulnerability to economic retaliation. The disparity threatens to hamper the goal of forming a united front so strong that China has little choice but to back down.