The leaders of the Group of Seven developed nations agreed Thursday to improve the lot of the middle class worldwide, pledging to spur economic growth, fight corruption and clamp down on tax evasion by the rich, a high-ranking Japanese official said.
The agreement was reached during the first session of the G-7 summit in the city of Shima, Mie Prefecture, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as chairman.
"We had discussion on the world economy and agreed that the world economy is facing . . . a major risk," Abe told reporters after the session.