G7 backs Taiwan after Emmanuel Macron’s comments sparked backlash

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aRationalMoose on April 19th, 2023 at 10:33 UTC »

Paywalled, can’t read.

Welph008 on April 19th, 2023 at 05:20 UTC »

For anyone interested in reading the complete G7 communique

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/g7-japan-2023-foreign-ministers-communique/g7-japan-2023-foreign-ministers-communique-18-april-2023-karuizawa-nagano

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy/global-challenges/news/article/g7-japan-2023-foreign-ministers-communique-april-18-2023

Here is the complete statement on China, third paragraph is about Taiwan

We recognize the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China. We acknowledge the need to work together with China on global challenges as well as areas of common interest, including on climate change, biodiversity, global health security, and gender equality. We reiterate our call for China to act as a responsible member of the international community. We stand prepared to work together to build constructive and stable relations through dialogue and to promote global economic recovery and people-to-people exchanges in a mutually beneficial way. It is in the interest of all countries, including China, to ensure transparent, predictable, and fair business environments. Legitimate business activities and interests of foreign companies must be protected from unfair, anti-competitive, and non-market practices, including through illegitimate technology transfer or data disclosure in exchange for market access. We encourage China to uphold its commitments to act responsibly in cyberspace, including refraining from conducting or supporting cyber-enabled intellectual property theft for commercial gain.

We remind China of the need to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and abstain from threats, coercion, intimidation, or the use of force. We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. There is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, and we oppose China’s militarization activities in the region. We emphasize the universal and unified character of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and reaffirm UNCLOS’ important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas. We reiterate that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on July 12, 2016, is a significant milestone, which is legally binding upon the parties to those proceeding, and a useful basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.

We reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element in security and prosperity in the international community, and call for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues. There is no change in the basic positions of the G7 members on Taiwan, including stated one China policies. We support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, including in the World Health Assembly and WHO technical meetings, as a member where statehood is not a prerequisite and as an observer or guest where it is. The international community should be able to benefit from the experience of all partners. We continue to raise our concerns with China on reported human rights violations and abuses, including in Xinjiang and Tibet. We reiterate our concerns over the continued erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy rights and freedoms, and call on China to act in accordance with its international commitments and legal obligations, including those enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.

We call on China to act in accordance with its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Seems like the same concerns that have been raised before, just all write in the same place and at the same time.

Link to China's response:

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/202304/t20230418_11061179.html

CCTV: The G7 foreign ministers issued a communiqué after they held a meeting in Japan. They reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and expressed concerns over the situation in the East and South China Seas and on issues related to Xinjiang and Tibet. They also urged China to ensure transparent, predictable, and fair business environments. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: Regardless of China’s strong position and existing facts, the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs and maliciously smeared and discredited China. The communiqué reflects the group’s arrogance, prejudice and deliberate desire to block and contain China. We deplore and reject this and have made a strong démarche to the host Japan.

Taiwan is part of China’s sacred territory. The one-China principle is what underpins peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. To ensure real peace in the Taiwan Strait, it is absolutely essential to unequivocally oppose and stop any act for “Taiwan independence”. Matters related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet are purely China’s internal affairs. No foreign forces may interfere in them in any way or under any pretext. The situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea is generally stable. Relevant countries need to respect the efforts of regional countries to uphold peace and stability. They need to stop sowing discord and stop creating camp confrontation. As one of the most vibrant markets with the greatest potential, China is committed to providing a stable, fair, transparent and predictable investment and business environment for foreign investors. Certain G7 members have been oblivious to the principles of market economy and fair competition, overstretched and abused the concept of national security, and used every means possible to suppress foreign companies. They are in no position to jab fingers at China.

As a responsible major country, China firmly acts on the UN Charter and the basic principles of international law and is committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind. We once again urge G7 to reflect on their own problems and discard the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices. They should stop running counter to the prevailing trend of today’s world, stop pointing fingers condescendingly, stop grossly interfering in other countries’ internal affairs and stop deliberately creating antagonism and division in the international community.

Same old same old in terms of Chinese response to criticism vis a vi Taiwan. ie. None of your business.

edit: quote blocks not quote blocking...

edit2: found a better source for china's response

edit3: copy pasted the wrong section

taike0886 on April 19th, 2023 at 02:19 UTC »

Some additional reporting that I found interesting:

German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock, who also attended the meetings in Japan, struck a starkly different tone during and after her own trip to Beijing last week.

While Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang (秦剛) sought to impress her, including with a trip from his hometown of Tianjin to Beijing, Baerbock emerged more skeptical with China than before, a person familiar with her thinking said.

Baerbock felt lectured by Qin and was disappointed that China’s leadership was not willing to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as part of a peace plan from Xi that many Western nations see as pro-Russian, the person said.

Baerbock yesterday underscored that Germany would not compromise on its values when it comes to engaging with China.

In response to a question on Taiwan, she said that “Europe won’t look away” if international law is violated.

“I made clear in China: We want to cooperate, we want to be partners, but we are not naive,” she told reporters in Japan.