Missed opportunity to seek solutions to common challenges

On Friday, Japan's Foreign Ministry released the agenda of the G7 summit meeting, which the island country will host this week.

Social and economic issues aside, Japan has decided to put "maritime security" on the agenda, saying it will highlight the "importance of rule of law and the peaceful resolution of disputes".

Japan will also hold two outreach sessions - one for Asia and the other for Africa - on the sidelines of the G7 meeting. As it is the first summit to be held in Asia in eight years, Japan has taken it as an opportunity to talk about the region's path towards prosperity. So it has invited the leaders of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Vietnam to discuss "quality infrastructure investment" and "open and stable seas".