Article snippet: This year’s G-7 summit was marked by division on trade, climate, and other issues. Here are four takeaways from the meeting of major economic powers: Trump’s rhetoric on the status of his trade negotiations with China fluctuated wildly over the weekend: On Sunday, he suggested he was having second thoughts about starting a trade war, before backtracking hours later to say his only regret was not escalating the conflict futher. Then on Monday, Trump veered in the other direction again, claiming his staff had received calls from their Chinese counterparts eager to negotiate. He also called President Xi Jinping a “great leader.” But a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said Monday that he didn’t know what calls Trump was talking about. The swings came after Trump’s Friday tweets in which he branded President Xi an “enemy” of the United States and “hereby ordered” American companies to “start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing your companies HOME.” As recordbreaking wildfires raged through the Amazon rainforest, often called the “Earth’s lungs” for its role in creating oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, G-7 leaders convened to discuss the issue and pledge an aid package. G-7 leaders except for President Trump, that is. Trump skipped the meeting and left an empty seat behind. Asked about climate change during a Monday press conference, Trump refused to comment directly and said that the United States is not going to spend its wealth “on dre... Link to the full article to read more