Financial Times FT.com

Great powers present and future try to keep it casual

By Hugh Williamson

Published: June 4 2007 03:00 | Last updated: June 4 2007 03:00

If there is one thing upon which members of group of eight industrialised states can agree,it is that they do not want to allow any new members into their elite club.

Ever since Russia joined in the late 1990s, any serious discussion on expansion has been taboo. Indeed, Moscow's drift from the democratic values that are meant to unite members is one of the main reasons why the club's founders oppose considering even China, the most obvious candidate to join.

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