Global Courant 2023-05-22 13:09:42
The state-backed Chinese spokesperson Global Times called the Group of Seven summit an “anti-China workshop” on Monday, after Beijing summoned the Japanese envoy and berated Britain in a fiery response to statements made over the weekend. were completed in Hiroshima.
In a joint communiqué issued Saturday, China was singled out on issues ranging from Taiwan and maritime claims to economic coercion and human rights, highlighting tensions between Beijing and the group of wealthy nations, including the United States.
“The US is doing everything it can to weave an anti-China net in the Western world,” Global Times said Monday in an editorial titled “G7 has descended into an anti-China workshop.”
“This is not only a matter of brutal interference in China’s internal affairs and defamation of China, but also an undisguised desire for confrontation between the camps.”
Beijing’s foreign ministry said it firmly opposed the G-7 statement and said late Sunday it had summoned Japan’s ambassador to China as part of its protest at the summit’s host.
Russia, a close ally of China also named in the G7 statement for its invasion of Ukraine, said the summit was an “incubator” for anti-Russian and anti-Chinese hysteria.
Separately, the Chinese embassy in Britain on Sunday urged London to stop slandering China after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Beijing represents the world’s greatest challenge to security and prosperity.
Despite Beijing’s sharp response, President Joe Biden said he expected a thaw in frosty relations with China “very soon”. The Group of Seven (G7) also includes Canada, France, Germany and Italy.
China’s vice foreign minister Sun Weidong called on the Japanese ambassador to register protests over “hype around China-related issues,” the ministry said in a statement late Sunday.
Sun said Japan cooperated with the other countries at the G7 summit “in activities and joint statements … to smear and attack China, to grossly interfere in China’s internal affairs, to violate the basic principles of international law and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan”, referring to the Joint Declaration between China and Japan of 1972.
He said Japan’s actions were detrimental to China’s sovereignty, security and development interests, and that China is “deeply dissatisfied with it and strongly opposes it”.
“Japan should correct its understanding of China, gain strategic autonomy, adhere to the principles of the four political documents between China and Japan, and really promote the stable development of bilateral relations with a constructive attitude,” Sun said.
Hideo Tarumi, Japan’s ambassador to China, countered that it is “natural” for the G-7 to refer to issues of common concern, as it has done in the past and will continue to do in the future as long as China does not change. his behavior, according to a readout.
“China should first take positive steps to address those concerns if China demands not to refer to them,” Tarumi told Sun, according to the readout.
Japan’s chief of cabinet, Hirokazu Matsuno, said at Monday morning’s briefing that the country’s policy towards China has been consistent that it will press for things that are necessary and push for responsible behavior while taking steps to address concerns and work together on common issues.
