16.04.2023
The G7 foreign ministers meeting kicked off in Japan on Sunday. A senior US official revealed that the meeting will focus on China. EU Foreign and Security Affairs High Representative Borrell said on the eve of the meeting that anything that happens in the Taiwan Strait is of great significance to the EU. He described China as “partner, competitor and institutional opponent” and pointed out that which of these three relationships the EU will prefer “will be determined by China’s behavior”.
(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) The G7 foreign ministers’ summit will discuss their “coordinated” stance on China, underscoring shared concerns over Beijing’s actions, a senior U.S. official told Reuters. The three-day conference was held in the Japanese resort town of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture. Japan, the only Asian member of the bloc, is increasingly concerned about neighboring Beijing’s growing influence in China and is particularly concerned about any military action against Taiwan.
Reuters pointed out that French President Macron’s recent statements have highlighted possible differences between Europe and the United States on the China issue. In an interview after a visit to China this month, Macron warned against being drawn into a crisis in the Taiwan Strait driven by “the rhythm of the United States and China’s overreaction”. That sparked a backlash, with European foreign policy officials urging Beijing on Friday not to use force against Taiwan.
EU foreign affairs and security chief Josep Borrell said on Sunday that Sino-EU relations would depend on Beijing’s actions, including on Taiwan. In his speech on the eve of the meeting of foreign ministers, Borrell emphasized two points: the need for a unified approach to China and concerns about Taiwan. “Anything that happens in the Taiwan Strait region is of great significance to us,” he said, emphasizing the need to engage and maintain communication with China. He also described China as a “partner, competitor and institutional adversary”, noting that which of the three relationships the EU would prefer would depend on China’s behaviour.
U.S. officials speaking on the plane from Vietnam to Japan, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters there were shared concerns about some of the actions China was taking. In Vietnam, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Trung. Both sides expressed their desire to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Washington is seeking to consolidate alliances against China.
German Foreign Minister Berberk stressed the solidarity of the G7 members. “As a democracy, we can only successfully compete against authoritarian forces in systemic competition when our partners and friends around the world have confidence in us,” she said in a statement before heading to Japan.
Political situation |
14.04.2023
The senior U.S. official also said that Taiwan was also one of the topics of focus at the G7 foreign ministers’ summit, but gave no further details. For the host country, Japan, the crisis in Ukraine has exacerbated concerns about China’s military reunification of Taiwan. Sato Yoichiro of Japan’s Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University said: “For Japan, the G7 is a platform where security issues can be expressed not limited to the Ukraine war. Putting China on the agenda is not only very difficult for Japan. Important, and equally important to the United States.”
The Foreign Office said in a statement that the meeting of G7 foreign ministers would discuss the most strategic use of international support to help Ukrainian forces fight Russia on the battlefield and “ensure a lasting peace”.
(Reuters, etc.)
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