The G7 foreign ministers have warned against any attempt to change the international order by force in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine and China’s increasing thirst for power. “We will reject any unilateral attempts to change the status quo through violence,” Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said at the start of discussions on the Indo-Pacific situation.
Hayashi said at the meeting in central Japan’s Karuizawa that it would “demonstrate to the world the firm determination of the G7 to uphold the international order based on the rule of law”. In the region, China is also trying to expand its position of power militarily.
The G7 group includes Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the USA and Great Britain. Japan currently holds the G7 presidency.
At the start of the meeting in the evening, Hayashi said that in order to overcome global challenges, it was important to build “constructive and stable” relations with China. According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the G7 ministers emphasized that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is an “indispensable element for the security and prosperity of the international community”. China views Taiwan as a breakaway territory to be reunited with the mainland, if necessary using military force.
