The G-7 Must Rescue the Liberal World Order

Europe, Japan, and the United States are the leading stakeholders in the liberal international order, constructed after 1945 and consolidated after 1989. Together, the allies rebuilt a world ruined by war, defeated Soviet tyranny, sustained great-power peace in Asia, spurred a wave of democratic transitions, and catalyzed a global economic miracle. But as these nations prepare to gather for the G-7 summit this week in the Japanese city of Ise-Shima, the enlightened order their predecessors built is fraying badly.

China is deploying military force to redraw the strategic map of Asia. Russia is working to construct a new shadow empire in Eurasia. Parts of the Middle East have collapsed into anarchy. Nativism, populism, and protectionism are putting Western democracies under pressure, threatening the historic gains born of globalization.

Photo credit: State Department Photo/Public Domain