At the end of their meeting in Karuizawa, Japan, the G7 foreign ministers took a clear position against aggressive behavior by Russia and China. In their final statement on Tuesday, the chief diplomats of the seven leading industrial nations threatened countries that provide material support for Russia’s war against Ukraine with a “high price”.
At the same time, after the two-day meeting, they announced further sanctions against Russia and condemned Moscow’s announcement to station nuclear weapons in Belarus as “unacceptable”.
From the point of view of the Japanese government, the G7 meeting sent a strong signal against attacks on the international order. The gathering in Karuizawa, Japan was “a great success” as it “confirmed our firm opposition to attempts to change the status quo,” Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said at the end of the meeting.
The participants had previously adopted a joint final declaration. “We remain committed to stepping up sanctions against Russia,” it said. Coordination will be strengthened to prevent third-party arms deliveries to Russia.
In addition to Germany and Japan, the G7 group of economically strong democracies also includes France, Italy, Canada, the USA and Great Britain. Japan currently holds the presidency. The meeting in Karuizawa also served to prepare for the G7 summit of heads of state and government in Hiroshima in May. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will arrive for this purpose.
The Round of Seven again called on Russia to withdraw immediately and unconditionally from Ukraine. The country will continue to be helped to repair infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks.
The G7 countries condemned “Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and its threat to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus” as unacceptable. “Any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would have serious consequences,” the final statement said.
Calling on China to comply with international rules
China accused Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her colleagues of stoking tensions in the South China Sea.
“We remind China of the need to uphold the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and to refrain from threats, coercion, intimidation or the use of force,” the statement said. Accordingly, there is “no legal basis for China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea and we condemn China’s militarization activities in the region”.
Regarding differences with China over Taiwan, it said, “We reaffirm the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element for security and prosperity in the international community, and call for a peaceful resolution of the problems between the two sides of the world.” road up.”
There is “no change in the fundamental positions of the G7 members on Taiwan”. This clarification apparently referred to fuss over statements by French President Emmanuel Macron. Last week, with a view to Taiwan and the growing tensions over this issue between Washington and Beijing, he recommended that the Europeans avoid “crises that are not ours”.
Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway territory that it wants to reunite with the mainland – if necessary using military force. Tensions between the US and China have increased significantly recently, partly because of the Taiwan issue.
The seven democratic governments also found clear words on China’s human rights policy: they are concerned about human rights violations in Tibet and Xinjiang. China’s central government has long been accused of systematically repressing the Muslim Uyghurs in the western province.
The final declaration by the G7 foreign ministers also includes a call for North Korea to refrain from any further testing of nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles. Otherwise there will be a “quick, united and robust international response”.
Call for an unconditional end to the fighting in Sudan
The G7 ministers also addressed the conflict in Sudan and the oppression of women by the radical Islamic Taliban. “We call on all actors to refrain from violence, to return to negotiations and to take active steps to reduce tensions,” the conclusion paper reads.
The United Nations assumes at least 185 dead and 1,800 injured, including many civilians, in the domestic power struggle in Sudan. Over the weekend, a long-simmering power struggle between the country’s army under the command of ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of his deputy Mohammed Hamdan Daglo had degenerated into open violence.
The G7 round strongly condemned the ongoing fighting. They would undermine efforts to restore the democratic transition in Sudan. “We call on the parties to end hostilities immediately and without preconditions,” the meeting’s final document said.
Despite the criticism, the G7 want to work together on global challenges such as climate change. We are willing to “build constructive and stable relationships through dialogue and promote global economic recovery and people-to-people exchanges in a mutually beneficial manner.” (dpa, AFP)
