The ministers wore face masks and greeted one another with arm and elbow bumps.
Host nation Britain is keen to show that the rich countries' club still has clout in a fast-changing world.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the meeting demonstrates diplomacy is back.
London: Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven wealthy industrialized nations gathered Tuesday (May 4) in London for their first face-to-face meeting in more than two years, with the issue of whether to challenge or coax a surging China high on the agenda.
Host nation Britain is keen to show that the rich countries' club still has clout in a fast-changing world, and has warned that the increasingly aggressive stances of Russia, China and Iran pose a challenge to democratic societies and the international rule of law.