By Keita Nakamura,
KARUIZAWA, Japan - The Group of Seven foreign ministers on Tuesday demonstrated that they are on the same page on Taiwan, declaring that peace for the island is an "indispensable element" of global security, while urging China to behave responsibly as a member of the international community.
The display of G-7 unity over Taiwan came after French President Emmanuel Macron had called for European countries not to be "followers" of either the United States or China amid the two countries' escalating rivalry over the self-ruled democratic island, which Beijing views as its own territory.
In a communique released after their three-day meeting in the resort town of Karuizawa in central Japan, the foreign ministers emphasized "there is no change in the basic positions of the G-7 members on Taiwan."
The top diplomats from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union, also committed to intensifying sanctions imposed on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine began last year and demanded Russian forces' immediate and unconditional withdrawal.
They vowed to counter sanctions evasion by Moscow and warned of the "severe costs" that third parties could face if they do not stop providing assistance for Russia's war effort. They also specifically called on Iran to halt support for the Russian military, including the transfer of drones that have been used in Ukraine.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, who chaired the meeting, hailed the outcome of the talks, which were intended to lay the groundwork for the G-7 summit to be held from May 19 to 21 in Hiroshima, western Japan.
"It is significant that we were able to confirm our commitment to the free and open international order based on the rule of law and our strong opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo anywhere in the world," he said.
Noting the "clear unanimity" over the Taiwan issue, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a separate press conference, "We actually have not seen greater convergence at any other time in the approach than we see now, both with Europe as well as with key countries in Asia."
While condemning Russia's threat to deploy nuclear weapons in its ally Belarus as "unacceptable," the G-7 also committed in the communique to the "ultimate goal" of a world without nuclear weapons, achieved through what they called a realistic and pragmatic approach.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who represents a constituency in Hiroshima, has been hoping to pitch his signature vision of a world without nuclear weapons at the summit, which will bring together leaders of the G-7, a grouping that includes nuclear powers Britain, France and the United States.
The G-7 members also urged other leaders and youths to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the sites of the world's only nuclear attacks.
The foreign ministerial gathering took place after Macron sparked controversy in the United States and Europe when he warned in a media interview released after his trip to China earlier this month against being drawn into a crisis over Taiwan driven by an "American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction."
Tensions in the Taiwan Strait have been ticking up, with a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles earlier this month triggering Chinese military drills.
In line with past G-7 statements, the latest communique emphasized "the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait" while airing serious concern about the situation in the East and South China seas, where Beijing is aggressively pursuing its territorial claims.
"We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion," the G-7 foreign ministers said.
Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified with the Communist-governed mainland, by force if necessary.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin expressed Beijing's "strong dissatisfaction and firm objection" to the G-7 statement and said it has lodged stern representations with Japan, which hosted the meeting.
The G-7 foreign ministers "grossly interfered in China's internal affairs and maliciously smeared" the country, he told a press conference in Beijing, adding that their statement is "full of arrogance, prejudice and sinister intentions to oppose and contain China."
In the communique, the G-7 foreign ministers at the same time highlighted the necessity of working together with Beijing on global challenges, including climate change.
"We reiterate our call for China to act as a responsible member of the international community," they said. "We stand prepared to work together to build constructive and stable relations through dialogue."
The G-7 expressed concern about China's "accelerating expansion" of its nuclear arsenal, and strongly condemned North Korea's repeated weapons tests in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, including an intercontinental ballistic missile launch on Thursday.
In an apparent effort to pursue broader cooperation in pushing back against China and Russia, the G-7 ministers vowed to work with like-minded countries, including emerging and developing economies.
During the three-day meeting, they had a session focusing on the "Global South," with many of the countries, including India, taking a neutral position over the Ukraine conflict and refraining from imposing punitive steps on Moscow.
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