Tokyo [Japan] The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers reiterated their demand on China to act responsibly as a member of the international community on Tuesday, stating that peace and stability were a “indispensable element” of global security. Japan’s Tokyo on Tuesday, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) renewed their call on China to behave responsibly as a member of the international community, calling peace and stability a ‘indispensable element’ of global security.
The G-7 joint statement comes in the wake of French President Emmanual Macron’s remarks during his recent visit to China where he said that Europe should not become a “follower” of either Beijing or Washington and avoid getting involved in any conflict between the two countries over Taiwan.
“We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas,” the G-17 ministers’ communiqué from their meeting in Japan stated. “Any unilateral efforts to impose pressure or force a change in the status quo are categorically rejected by us. We oppose China’s militarised efforts in the area because its extensive maritime claims in the South China Sea lack legal support.”
“We emphasize the universal and unified character of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and reaffirm UNCLOS’ important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas,” the statement added. The G7 reiterated the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on 12 July 2016, as a significant milestone. According to the US State Department, the Arbitral Tribunal was constituted under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention and delivered a unanimous and enduring decision firmly rejecting the PRC’s expansive South China Sea maritime claims as having no basis in international law.
The G7 members recognized the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China. They acknowledge the need to work together with China on global challenges as well as areas of common interest, including climate change, biodiversity, global health security, and gender equality.
“We reaffirm that China must behave responsibly as a member of the international community. The statement stated, “We are ready to cooperate to further global economic recovery and people-to-people contacts in a mutually advantageous manner as well as to create constructive and stable relations through conversation.
Making sure that business conditions are transparent, predictable, and fair is in the best interests of all nations, including China. The statement said, “Legitimate commercial operations and interests of foreign businesses must be safeguarded from unfair, anti-competitive, and non-market practises, including through unlawful technology transfer or data disclosure in exchange for market access.
Looking at various cyber-theft cases, G7 asked China to uphold its commitments to act responsibly in cyberspace, including refraining from conducting or supporting cyber-enabled intellectual property theft for commercial gain.
Talking about the peace in Taiwan, G7 reaffirmed the importance of stability across the Strait as an indispensable element in security and prosperity in the international community, and call for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues. There is no change in the basic positions of the G7 members on Taiwan, including stated one China policies.
G7 also raised concerns with China on reported human rights violations and abuses, including in Xinjiang and Tibet.
“We reiterate our concerns over the continued erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy rights and freedoms and call on China to act in accordance with its international commitments and legal obligations, including those enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law,” the G7 said in a statement.
The G7 released a statement in which it expressed its concerns about the ongoing loss of Hong Kong’s autonomy rights and freedoms and urged China to act in accordance with its legal and international obligations, including those outlined in the Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
“We call on China to act in accordance with its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” the statement continued.