Expressing concern about the East and the South China Seas, the G7 members at the Foreign Ministers Meeting strongly opposed China and its militarisation and other provocative activities, and any unilateral provocative actions and efforts to change the status quo by force and coercion.
Further reaffirming the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the G7 members called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.
Statement by the US State Department
The G7 members called on China to act in accordance with its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and not to conduct interference activities aimed at undermining the security and safety of the communities, the integrity of their democratic institutions and their economic prosperity, the US State Department said in a statement.
“The G7 members reiterated that China has a responsibility to uphold the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. They remained seriously concerned about the situation in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. They strongly opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or by coercion,” the statement read.
It added that “They re-emphasised the universal and unified character of the United Nations Convention of Law of Seas (UNCLOS) and reaffirmed that the UNCLOS sets out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas. They reiterated that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive, maritime claims in the South China Sea and opposed militarization and other provocative actions in the region.”
G7 and Taiwan
The G7 members reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The members called peace across Taiwan, indispensable to the security and prosperity of the international community and called for a peaceful resolution of Cross Strait issues. The G7 Members further reiterated that there is no change in the basic position of the G7 members on Taiwan including the stated One China Policy.
G7 on Russia-Ukraine Conflict
They also reiterated their support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the international organisations. “The G7 members called on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression and immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine. They welcomed China’s participation in the Ukraine-led meeting in Jeddah and further encouraged China to support a just and lasting peace including through its direct dialogue with Ukraine.
G7 on China’s Domestic Fronts
The G7 Members also expressed concern about the human rights situations in China, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet. “They also on China to honour its commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law which enshrines rights, freedom and a higher degree of autonomy for Hong Kong,”
They reaffirmed the importance of engaging candidly with China and expressing their concerns directly to her acknowledging the need to cooperate with together with the PRC on global challenges as well as areas of common interests. The members continued to be prepared to build a constructive and stable relationship with China. “
The G7 members called on China to engage with them including in international forums and on areas such as climate change, biodiversity crisis, vulnerable countries’ debt sustainability and financing needs, global health and macro-economic stability. They emphasised that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying where necessary and appropriate.
With a view to enabling sustainable economic relations with the People’s Republic of China and strengthening the international trading system, they will continue to push for a level playing field for the workers and companies.
