China this Saturday accused the G7 of fomenting dissension against Beijing after the leaders of the seven most industrialized countries criticized the use of “economic coercion” as a political tool, in reference to the Asian giant.
“Some G7 members ignore the principles of market economy and fair competition and unfairly crack down on Chinese companies”the Chinese embassy in London said in a statement published on the Chinese social network WeChat.
“China is very dissatisfied and resolutely opposes this,” the embassy said, quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE.
Meeting Friday-Sunday in the Japanese city of Hiroshima, G7 members defended the need to reduce “excessive dependence” on China and released a statement on the Taiwan issue.
The leaders of the bloc uniting Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, plus the European Union (EU), also criticized the use of “economic coercion” as a political weapon, in an allusion to China.
The Chinese embassy accused Washington of “generalizing the concept of national security, abusing export control measures, and employing discriminatory and unfair practices against companies from other countries.”
“China itself is a victim of economic coercion by the United States,” the embassy said, noting that Beijing “has always firmly opposed economic coercion by other countries.”
“It is the United States that must stop suppressing and restricting other countries in the name of national security,” he said.
The Chinese embassy in London also said the United States must stop “arbitrary unilateral harassment”.
He also accused Washington of “disrupting the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.”
Chinese diplomacy called on the G7 to “let go of the Cold War mentality” and “cease interfering in the internal affairs of other countries”, as well as “creating clashes and divisions in the international community”.
“As the rotating chairman of the G7, Japan must respond responsibly and address the concerns of the international community,” he criticized.
Beijing assured that it will “fight resolutely and vigorously against all words and deeds that harm China’s interests”.
Regarding Taiwan, he reaffirmed that the island “has been an inalienable part of China’s territory since ancient times” and defended the principle of “one China” for Beijing to develop relations with other countries.
“The G7 is ignoring the facts and seriously interfering in China’s internal affairs on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet,” the embassy said.
He also accused the G7 of trying to “sow discord so that different countries confront China” and assured that Beijing “is a strong defender” of international maritime law, referring to disputes in the South China Sea.
“We always insist on a peaceful resolution of disputes through negotiations and consultation with the countries directly concerned, based on respect for historical facts and in accordance with international law,” he added.
Source: DN
