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G7 Foreign Ministers Take a Strong Stance Toward China on Taiwan
G7 foreign ministers have taken a firm stance against China, intensifying their rhetoric regarding Taiwan and omitting some conciliatory references used in previous statements, including the "One China" policy.
In a joint statement released yesterday, Friday, by the ministers who met in Canada, they renewed their condemnation of the use of "coercion" against Taiwan, referencing a joint statement between Japan and the United States from February. The statement also expressed concern about China's increasing nuclear capabilities but did not address human rights violations in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong.
When comparing the current statement with that of the foreign ministers in November, it lacks references that express the desire to establish "constructive and stable relations with China." The new statement also disregards assurances made in the November statement about not changing the fundamental stance of the G7 countries regarding Taiwan, including commitments to the One China policy, as well as the importance of China in global trade.
The One China policy, which recognizes Beijing as the seat of the official government, has been the fundamental premise for Western dealings with China and Taiwan for decades. The ministers, in another reference to Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, emphasized the necessity of "peaceful resolution of issues across the Taiwan Strait," asserting their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.
In his comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated that China "strongly opposes the G7 actions that harm China's sovereignty," adding that "the key to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is adherence to the One China principle."
The members also expressed concern about Chinese policies and practices that do not align with market performance, noting that they lead to surpluses that are not beneficial to the market and cause imbalances. They called on Beijing to refrain from implementing export control measures that could lead to significant disruptions in supply chains.
The Chinese embassy in Canada responded, deeming the accusations from the G7 "baseless," stating that "it is the G7 members who are weaponizing economic and trade issues."
