Meeting In Japan, G7 Countries Will Opponent Every Force From China

Minister of Foreign Affairs G7 meeting. (Twitter/@SecBlinken)

JAKARTA - Group of Seven (G7) countries saw firsthand the need to oppose any "force" of China or attempts to exert control in the Taiwan Strait, a senior US State Department official said on Monday, amid rising tensions around Taiwan.

Concerns about what G7 countries see as China's increasingly aggressive stance on Taiwan, broaderly in the Indo-Pacific region, have been a sharp focus during talks among G7 foreign ministers in the resort town of Karizawa, Japan.

"The message is the same across the G7: that we want to work with China in areas where China is ready to cooperate with us," a senior US State Department official told reporters by telephone.

"We will definitely oppose any coercion, any market manipulation, any attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait," the official added.

The G7 ministers wanted to show a unity front, especially after recent comments by French President Emmanuel Macron who were considered in some Western capitals too weak against China and sparked backlash.

After visiting China this month, President Macron warned against being dragged into a crisis over Taiwan driven by "American rhythm and China's overreaction".

In today’s @G7 Ministerial sessions, we discussed many challenges: from Russia’s war against Ukraine to advancing peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific to addressing our shared concerns across the Middle East and Central Asia. We are committed to solving these challenges. pic.twitter.com/jQspPIRe0S

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 17, 2023

As the only G7 member in Asia, Japan is deeply concerned about Beijing's possible actions against Taiwan nearby.

Beijing views Taiwan as Chinese territory and has not abandoned the use of force to seize the democratically-ruled island. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said only the island's inhabitants could determine their future.

"The impact of peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait on our country is certain, but it is also an important factor in the safety and security of the wider international community," Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said after a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Hayashi also told reporters French Foreign Minister Catherine Colona said France had a "deep feeling" of respect for the status quo and maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

China is increasingly trying to replace international rules with its "rule", German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Monday on the sidelines of the G7 meeting.

"Many of our partners in the region are increasingly feeling that China is increasingly looking to exchange binding international rules along with its own rules," explained Baerbock, who last week met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing.

Separately, China's top diplomat Wang Yi "hopes and believes" Germany will support China's "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.