The Global Times, an official mouthpiece of the Chinese government, has condemned the recent G7 summit in Hiroshima as an “anti-China workshop.” The summit, which was attended by leaders of seven rich countries including the United States, released a joint communique on Saturday which singled out China on issues including human rights, economic coercion, Taiwan, and maritime claims. A statement from China’s foreign ministry expressed strong opposition to the G7 statement and summoned the Japanese ambassador to China as a part of its protest. China has described the G7 activities as an undisguised urge for confrontation between the camps.
In an editorial titled “G7 has descended into an anti-China workshop,” the Global Times said that the US is pushing hard to weave an anti-China net in the Western world. The statement went on to say that this is not just a matter of brutal interference in China’s internal affairs and smearing China, but also an undisguised urge for confrontation between the camps.
In response to the G7 statement, China’s embassy in Britain criticized the UK for slandering China. The embassy urged London to stop its attempt to smear China after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Beijing represents the world’s greatest challenge to security and prosperity. Russia, which was also called out in the G7 statement over its invasion of Ukraine, said the summit was an “incubator” for anti-Russian and anti-Chinese hysteria.
The G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Sun Weidong, summoned the Japanese ambassador to register protests over “hype around China-related issues.” Sun said Japan collaborated with the other G7 countries “to smear and attack China, grossly interfering in China’s internal affairs, violating the basic principles of international law and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan,” referring to the China-Japan Joint Statement of 1972. He said Japan’s actions were detrimental to China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests, and that China is “strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes” them.
Hideo Tarumi, the Japanese ambassador to China, said that it is natural for the G7 to refer to issues of common concern, as long as China does not change its behavior. According to a readout, Tarumi told Sun that “China should first take positive steps to address those issues of concerns.” Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, said that the country’s policy toward China has been consistent in insisting on matters that are needed and urging responsible behavior, while also taking steps to address concerns and cooperate on common issues.
Despite Beijing’s pointed reaction, US President Joe Biden said he expects a thaw in frosty relations with China “very shortly.”
The tension between China and the G7 countries highlights the growing concern of the international community to China’s expansionism, confrontational stance, and human rights record. As China continues to assert its influence in the world, it is expected that tensions will continue to rise, and friction between China and other countries will continue to deepen.
