LA MALBAIE, Canda: G7 foreign ministers took a tough stance on China on Friday (Mar 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” toward Taiwan, language that heartened Taipei in its increasingly tense standoffs with Beijing.
Compared to a G7 foreign ministers’ statement in November, the statement added members’ concerns over China’s nuclear buildup, 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 G7 members on Taiwan, including stated One-China policies”, as well as that the G7 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.
