G7 will stand up to ‘any coercion’ from China – senior US official

A senior U.S. State Department official stated on Monday that the G-7 nations agree on the need to resist any Chinese “coercion” or efforts to exercise authority in the Taiwan Strait. This comes as tensions rise surrounding Taiwan.

During meetings in the Japanese resort town of Karuizawa, foreign ministers from the Group of Seven affluent nations voiced their concerns about what they regard as China’s increasingly aggressive position on Taiwan and more broadly in the Indo-Pacific area.

A senior U.S. State Department official told reporters on a teleconference, “The message is the same across the G7: that we want to work with China in those areas where China is prepared to work with us.”

“We are certainly going to stand up against any coercion, any market manipulation, any efforts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait,” the official stressed.

After recent comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, which were seen as overly weak against China and prompted backlash in some Western capitals, the G7 ministers are eager to display a united front.

Macron warned against getting sucked into a crisis over Taiwan fueled by the “American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction” after returning from a trip to China earlier this month.

Japan is worried about any potential action by Beijing on neighboring Taiwan because it is the sole Asian member of the G7.

Beijing considers self-ruled Taiwan to be part of China and has not abandoned plans to use force to annex the island. President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan has stated that only the people of Taiwan can determine the country’s fate.

After a bilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said, “The impact the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait has on our country is a given, but it is a crucial factor in the wider safety and security of the international community as well.”

Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna of France, according to what Hayashi told the press, has expressed “deep feelings” about maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and respecting the status quo.

IN YOUR OWN WAY
According to Japanese reports, between April 10 and 16, the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong carried out air operations including jet fighters and helicopters. According to official Chinese media, China’s navy conducted live-fire drills near Taiwan last week.

Even though Russia has been criticized by Tokyo for its recent naval maneuvers by its Pacific Fleet, Moscow is eager to show its strength in the region.

Foreign Minister of Germany Annalena Baerbock warned on Monday that China is seeking to supplant international rules with “its own rules” on the margins of the G7 summit.

Baerbock, who saw her Chinese colleague in Beijing last week, said, “Many of our partners in the region feel that China increasingly wants to exchange the existing common binding international rules with its own rules.”

The G7 consists of the USA, Canada, UK, France, Italy, and Germany.

According to a statement released by the Chinese foreign ministry on Saturday, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi “hopes and believes” Germany will back China’s “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan.