G-7 diplomats reject North Korean, PRC, Russian aggression
The Associated Press
Top diplomats from the Group of Seven democracies vowed a tough stance on the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) threats to Taiwan and on North Korea’s tests of long-range missiles, while discussing ways to boost support for Ukraine and punish Russia for its invasion.
The envoys’ talks in Karuizawa, Japan, in mid-April 2023 were meant to pave the way for action by G-7 leaders when they meet in Hiroshima, Japan, in May. (Pictured: Clockwise from center: Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, France’s Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Enrique Mora, U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Karuizawa, Japan.)
The world is at a “turning point” on the fighting in Ukraine and must “firmly reject unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and its threats of the use of nuclear weapons,” Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said.
The meeting came at a crucial moment in the world’s response to Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and efforts to deal with the PRC, two issues that ministers from G-7 members Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the European Union, regard as potent challenges to the rules-based international order.
A senior official traveling with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration wants the talks to bolster support for Ukraine, including a major initiative on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure launched at G-7 gatherings in Germany in 2022, and to ensure continued military assistance for Kyiv.
Punishing Russia, particularly through economic sanctions, is also a priority, the official said.
Ukraine faces a pivotal moment as it prepares a counteroffensive following Russia’s largely stalled offensive.
Japan’s role as chair of the G-7 provides an opportunity to discuss coordinated action on the PRC. Leaders and foreign ministers of G-7 countries, most recently France and Germany, have visited China, and the diplomats in Karuizawa were expected to discuss the PRC’s position on numerous issues, including the war in Ukraine, North Korea and Taiwan.
Hayashi urged continued dialogue with the PRC on the global challenges where Beijing’s participation is seen as crucial, such as trade, finance and climate.
But the diplomats also planned to address the PRC’s more aggressive stance in the region, particularly toward Taiwan, the self-governing democracy that Beijing claims as its territory.
The Chinese Communist Party in early April 2023 sent planes and warships to simulate an encirclement of Taiwan. Beijing has also been rapidly adding nuclear warheads and taking a tougher line on its claims in the South China Sea.
The increased tensions come as Japan makes a major break from its self-defense-only posture, with plans to acquire preemptive strike capabilities and cruise missiles to counter threats.
Hayashi told ministers that nations must continue “building a constructive and stable relationship, while also directly expressing our concerns and calling for China to act as a responsible member of the international community,” according to an official summary.
IMAGE CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
