Context: 

Recently, US President said that the Group of Seven (G­7) nations had agreed on a united approach to China that called for diversifying supply chains to reduce dependence on one country.

What is the G-7 Summit?

• The Group of Seven is an informal group of leading industrialised nations. 
• It consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
• The first summit was in 1975, when France hosted what was then a Group of Six meeting to discuss tackling a recession that followed an Arab oil embargo. 
• Canada became the seventh member in 1976. 
• Russia joined to form the G-8 in 1998 but was expelled after Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
• In addition to G7 members, invited countries and international organizations that are not G7 members may also participate in G7 meetings.

How are G7 Summits being prepared?

• Summit preparations are primarily done by the so-called “Sherpas,” the personal assistants of the heads of state and government. 
• A “Sherpa” is a mountaineering term which originally referred to the “guide who assists climbers to reach the top (summit) of a mountain.” 
• Sherpas from the G7 members maintain close contact as they prepare to reach the summit—a successful leaders’ meeting.

News Source: The Hindu