Leaders of EU nations meet with top officials of the bloc before official start of G-7 summit

The European position is clear China is a systemic rival, a partner on global issues and a competitor, Macrons office said in a statement.The European leaders also discussed ways to finance and donate COVID-19 vaccines, with the aim of getting 60 of the people living in the worlds poorest countries vaccinated by March 2022, according to Macrons office.

Leaders of European Union nations who are attending the Group of Seven summit in England gathered before the official start of the event with top EU officials. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Premier Mario Draghi, EU Council President Charles Michel and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen talked about relations with China. They plan to discuss the topic later with US President Biden, who also is at the summit. "The European position is clear: China is a systemic rival, a partner on global issues and a competitor," Macron's office said in a statement.

The European leaders also discussed ways to finance and donate COVID-19 vaccines, with the aim of getting 60% of the people living in the world's poorest countries vaccinated by March 2022, according to Macron's office.

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