Tough G-7 statement drops ‘one China’ reference from language on Taiwan

LA MALBAIE, Canada – Group of 7 (G-7) foreign ministers took a tough stance on China on March 14, stepping up language on Taiwan and omitting some conciliatory references from past statements, including to “one China” policies.

A statement by ministers meeting in Canada mirrored a February Japan-US statement in condemning “coercion” towards Taiwan, language that heartened Taipei in its

increasingly tense stand-offs

with Beijing.

Compared with a G-7 foreign ministers’ statement in November, the statement added members’ concerns over China’s nuclear build-up, although it omitted references to their concerns about Beijing’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.

Also missing were references stressing the desire for “constructive and stable relations with China” and recognising the “importance of direct and candid engagement to express concerns and manage differences”.

The statement dropped past reassurances, recently stated in November, that there is “no change in the basic position of the G-7 members on Taiwan, including stated one-China policies”, as well as that the G-7 is “not decoupling or turning inwards” and recognising the importance of China in global trade.

The so-called one-China policy, which recognises Beijing as the official government of China and ensures that ties with Taipei remain unofficial, has been the bedrock of Western dealings with China and Taiwan for decades.

The omission is sure to be a significant concern for Beijing.

Referring again to Taiwan, a self-governed island that China claims as its own, the statement said the ministers “encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues and reiterated their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion”.

The G-7 statements “ignore facts and China’s solemn position, grossly interfere in China’s internal affairs and blatantly smear China”, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Canada said in a statement.

China “resolutely opposes the G-7’s misdeeds of harming China’s sovereignty”, the spokesperson said, adding that “the key to upholding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait lies in abiding by the one-China principle”.

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba introduced the reference to “coercion” in the context of stepped-up Chinese military pressure against Taiwan at a summit in February.

Mr Trump has installed China hawks in key positions in his administration although his exact approach towards Beijing remains unclear and his administration has been discussing a possible summit soon with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Still focusing on China, the G-7 foreign ministers, who have been meeting in the remote tourist town of La Malbaie, Canada, this week, said they are seriously concerned by the situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

Addressing China’s actions against the Philippines and Vietnam, they expressed concern over the increasing use of “dangerous manoeuvres and water cannons” and efforts to restrict freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

The members also expressed concern about China’s non-market policies and practices, saying these are leading to harmful overcapacity and market distortions. They called on Beijing to refrain from adopting export control measures that can lead to significant supply chain disruptions.

In response, the Chinese Embassy in Canada said the Asia-Pacific region is “not a chessboard for geopolitical rivalries”, and urged the G-7 to “abandon the Cold War mentality and stop creating bloc confrontation and fuelling tensions in the region”.

The embassy also rejected the G-7’s “groundless” accusations of China’s overcapacity and market distortions, saying “it is precisely the G-7 members that have politicised and weaponised economic and trade issues”. REUTERS