G7 Takes Tough Stance on China, Removes Mention of ‘One China’ in Relation to Taiwan
The ministers expressed concerns about the Chinese communist regime’s military buildup and increasing nuclear weapons arsenal.
Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) nations on Friday demonstrated a tough stance on China by affirming their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change Taiwan’s status through coercion. They notably excluded the bloc’s position on the “One China” policy in their joint statement.
The ministers cautioned China against engaging in or enabling activities that could jeopardize the security of democratic institutions, and they raised alarms about the Chinese communist regime’s military expansion and increasing nuclear armaments.
According to the statement, they called on the Chinese communist regime to participate in “strategic risk reduction discussions” and “promote stability through transparency.”
G7 members reiterated their opposition to any unilateral efforts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas, where Beijing asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire sea, including reefs and islands that overlap with neighboring countries’ exclusive economic zones.
The declaration states, “We condemn China’s illicit, provocative, coercive and dangerous actions that seek unilaterally to alter the status quo in such a way as to risk undermining the stability of regions, including through land reclamations, and building of outposts, as well as their use for military purpose.”
In their joint statement, G7 foreign ministers expressed concerns about China’s “dangerous maneuvers and water cannons” targeting Philippine and Vietnamese vessels in the South China Sea, as well as Beijing’s efforts to restrict freedom of navigation and overflight in the contested waters.
Both the declaration and joint statement were released on March 14 following the recent meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Canada.
The meeting included foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as representatives from the European Union.
In response, the Chinese Embassy in Canada criticized the G7 maritime security declaration as a “groundless accusation” and noted that the situation in the East and South China Seas has been “generally stable.”
The embassy stated that the Taiwan issue is “an internal affair of China.”
The ministry mentioned that 11 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, prompting Taiwan’s military to deploy its aircraft to monitor their movements.