HIROSHIMA, JAPAN: The wealthy democracies of the Group of Seven (G7) united on Saturday to urge China to pressure its strategic partner, Russia, to end its war against Ukraine.
In a joint statement released on Saturday, the G7 leaders stressed that they do not want to harm China and seek “constructive and stable relations” with Beijing, “recognizing the importance of engaging frankly with China and ‘raise concerns directly to China’.
“We call on China to pressure Russia to cease its military aggression and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine,” he said. “We encourage China to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on territorial integrity and the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations,” including through direct talks with Ukraine.
Cooperation with China is necessary given its global role and economic size, the group said, calling for working together on challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, debts and financing needs of vulnerable countries. , global health issues and economic stability.
But the leaders expressed “serious concern” about the situation in the East and South China Seas, where Beijing is expanding its military presence and threatening to use force to exert control over self-governing Taiwan. They called for a “peaceful resolution” of China’s claim to Taiwan, which has remained unresolved since the Communists seized power in mainland China in 1949.
The statement said there is “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 abides by international rules would be of global interest,” the statement said, alluding to accusations that Beijing is undermining the “rules-based international order.”
The G7 has also united to voice concerns about human rights in China, including in Tibet, Hong Kong and the far western region of Xinjiang, where the issue of forced labor is an ongoing problem.
But the statement was also intended 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,” he said. The statement highlighted a consensus that efforts to diversify manufacturing supply chains and ensure stable access to strategically vital minerals and other resources are not aimed at undoing trade ties with the world’s second-largest economy.
“We are not decoupling or self-closing,” the statement said. “At the same time, we recognize that economic resilience requires risk reduction and diversification. We will take action, individually and collectively, to invest in our own economic dynamism. We will reduce overdependencies in our critical supply chains .
At the same time, G7 members have pledged to take a stand against various types of “economic coercion”, saying they will “oppose malicious practices, such as illegitimate technology transfer or data disclosure”, while avoiding “unduly restricting trade and investment”. ”
Chinese officials have responded to various G7 statements on economic coercion and other issues by accusing the United States and other members of hypocrisy.
The official Xinhua news agency published a scathing editorial on Friday describing the allegations as “witch hunts”, bullying and “superpower crackdowns”.
“When it comes to ‘coercion,’ the first water coercitor is the United States,” he said. “US G7 allies must have a lot to complain about, given how Washington has tapped or bled them over the years.”
The G7 includes Japan, host of this year’s annual leaders’ summit, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy, as well as the European Union.
The statement was released on the second day of a three-day summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Hiroshima on Saturday to attend meetings scheduled for Sunday.
In a joint statement released on Saturday, the G7 leaders stressed that they do not want to harm China and seek “constructive and stable relations” with Beijing, “recognizing the importance of engaging frankly with China and ‘raise concerns directly to China’.
“We call on China to pressure Russia to cease its military aggression and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine,” he said. “We encourage China to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on territorial integrity and the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations,” including through direct talks with Ukraine.
Cooperation with China is necessary given its global role and economic size, the group said, calling for working together on challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, debts and financing needs of vulnerable countries. , global health issues and economic stability.
But the leaders expressed “serious concern” about the situation in the East and South China Seas, where Beijing is expanding its military presence and threatening to use force to exert control over self-governing Taiwan. They called for a “peaceful resolution” of China’s claim to Taiwan, which has remained unresolved since the Communists seized power in mainland China in 1949.
The statement said there is “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 abides by international rules would be of global interest,” the statement said, alluding to accusations that Beijing is undermining the “rules-based international order.”
The G7 has also united to voice concerns about human rights in China, including in Tibet, Hong Kong and the far western region of Xinjiang, where the issue of forced labor is an ongoing problem.
But the statement was also intended 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,” he said. The statement highlighted a consensus that efforts to diversify manufacturing supply chains and ensure stable access to strategically vital minerals and other resources are not aimed at undoing trade ties with the world’s second-largest economy.
“We are not decoupling or self-closing,” the statement said. “At the same time, we recognize that economic resilience requires risk reduction and diversification. We will take action, individually and collectively, to invest in our own economic dynamism. We will reduce overdependencies in our critical supply chains .
At the same time, G7 members have pledged to take a stand against various types of “economic coercion”, saying they will “oppose malicious practices, such as illegitimate technology transfer or data disclosure”, while avoiding “unduly restricting trade and investment”. ”
Chinese officials have responded to various G7 statements on economic coercion and other issues by accusing the United States and other members of hypocrisy.
The official Xinhua news agency published a scathing editorial on Friday describing the allegations as “witch hunts”, bullying and “superpower crackdowns”.
“When it comes to ‘coercion,’ the first water coercitor is the United States,” he said. “US G7 allies must have a lot to complain about, given how Washington has tapped or bled them over the years.”
The G7 includes Japan, host of this year’s annual leaders’ summit, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy, as well as the European Union.
The statement was released on the second day of a three-day summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Hiroshima on Saturday to attend meetings scheduled for Sunday.
