G7 members oppose Beijing's militarisation in South China Sea, raise concerns on human rights violations

The G7 members at the group’s foreign ministers’ meeting strongly opposed China’s militarisation and other provocative activities, and any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East and South China Seas. Reaffirming the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the G7 members further called for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues. The US State Department said in a statement that members of the bloc have called on China and advised not to conduct “interference activities" aimed at undermining the security and safety of their communities, the integrity of their democratic institutions and their economic prosperity. The G7 members called on China to act in accordance with its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. “The G7 members reiterated that China has a responsibility to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. They remained seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. They strongly opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion,” the statement read. It added, “They reemphasized the universal and unified character of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and reaffirmed that UNCLOS sets out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas. They reiterated that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea and opposed China’s militarization and other provocative activities in the region”. The G7 members also reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The members called peace across Taiwan, indispensable to security and prosperity in the international community and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues. However, the G7 members further reiterated that there is no change in the “basic position of the G7 members on Taiwan”, including stated ‘One China’ policies. They also reiterated their support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. “The G7 members called on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression, and immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine. They welcomed China’s participation in the Ukraine-led meeting in Jeddah and further encouraged China to support a just and lasting peace, including through its direct dialogue with Ukraine,” the statement added. The G7 members also expressed concern about the human rights situation in China, including in Xinjiang and Tibet. “They also called on China to honour its commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, which enshrine rights, freedoms, and a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong,” it added. However, the G7 members also reaffirmed the importance of engaging candidly with China and expressing their concerns directly to it, acknowledging the need to work together with China on global challenges as well as areas of common interest. The members continue to be prepared to build constructive and stable relations with China. “The G7 members called on China to engage with them, including in international fora, on areas such as the climate, biodiversity crises, vulnerable countries’ debt sustainability and financing needs, global health, and macroeconomic stability. They emphasized that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying where necessary and appropriate. With a view to enabling sustainable economic relations with China, and strengthening the international trading system, they will continue to push for a level playing field for their workers and companies,” the statement read. With inputs from ANI.