China slams G-7 for "taking sides"

BEIJING: The Chinese government has expressed its ire at the Group of Seven members for "taking sides" in its maritime territorial disputes with other nations in the East and South China Seas. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that Japan, as the host of the G7 Summit held last week, was only hyping the issue. "China is strongly dissatisfied with what Japan and the G7 have done. It is hoped that G7 countries would take an unbiased and just position, honor their commitment of not taking sides on territorial disputes, stop making irresponsible remarks and do more things that contribute to regional peace and stability," said Hua in a press briefing.

China is locked in increasingly tense disputes with Japan, over islands in the East China Sea, and with several Southeast Asian countries over the South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety. Beijing is accused of undertaking a provocative campaign to expand small atolls and reefs in waters where its claims overlap with those of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. "We urge the G7 member states to honor their commitment of not taking sides on issues involving territorial disputes," China’s Foreign Ministry said.

"As the world is faced with a complicated economic situation, the G7, as a platform to discuss world economy, should focus on economic and development issues of global concern," Hua said. As the holder of the G20 presidency this year, China said it hopes G7 members join the agenda of G20, which is more representative, and play a more constructive role in global economic governance. Hua said what China has done in the South China Sea falls entirely within China's sovereignty, and is completely legal, reasonable, and blameless.

The G7 leaders had agreed that there is a need to send a strong message on China's maritime claims in the disputed sea. The leaders of the G7; Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, endorsed the earlier statement of the group's foreign ministers on maritime security. "We are concerned about the situation in the East and South China seas, and emphasize the fundamental importance of peaceful management and settlement of disputes," the G7 2016 joint declaration read.