G7 countries yesterday expressed “serious concern” about the situation in the East and South China seas, where Beijing has been expanding its military presence and threatening to use force to exert its control over Taiwan.
In a joint statement, the G7 leaders called for a “peaceful resolution” of China’s claim to Taiwan.
They said they did not want to harm China and were seeking “constructive and stable relations” with Beijing, “recognizing the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China.”
Photo: AFP
The statement said there was “no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, and we oppose China’s militarization activities in the region.”
“A growing China that plays by international rules would be of global interest,” the statement said, alluding to charges that Beijing is undermining the “rules-based international order.”
The G7 also united in voicing concerns about human rights in China, including in Tibet, Hong Kong and the far western region of Xinjiang, where forced labor is a perennial issue.
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked the G7 for its “concrete course of action for three consecutive years that expressed their concern and emphasis on the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.”
As an important country in the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan would continue to work with G7 members and other like-minded countries to bolster the “global democratic alliance,” uphold the rules-based international order, resist the oppression of authoritarianism, and maintain the liberty and openness of the Indo-Pacific region, as well as global peace, stability and prosperity, it said.
The G7 statement also called on Beijing to pursue peace in Ukraine.
“We call on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression, and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine,” it said. “We encourage China to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on territorial integrity and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter,” including in direct talks with Ukraine.
The statement also sought to counter accusations that the G7 is seeking to prevent China’s rise as a global power.
“Our policy approaches are not designed to harm China, nor do we seek to thwart China’s economic progress and development,” it said.
The statement highlighted a consensus that efforts to diversify manufacturing supply chains and ensure stable access to strategically vital minerals and other resources is not aimed at unraveling trade ties with the world’s second-largest economy.
“We are not decoupling or turning inwards,” the statement said. “At the same time, we recognize that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying. We will take steps, individually and collectively, to invest in our own economic vibrancy. We will reduce excessive dependencies in our critical supply chains.”
At the same time, the G7 members vowed to take a stand against “economic coercion,” saying they “will counter malign practices, such as illegitimate technology transfer or data disclosure,” while also avoiding “unduly limiting trade and investment.”
Additional reporting by staff writer
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