The G7 group of economically strong democracies has warned against any attempt to violently change the international order in view of the 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 on Monday at the start of G7 foreign ministers’ deliberations on the situation in the Indo-Pacific. In the region, China is also trying to expand its position of power militarily.
Hayashi said at the meeting in central Japan’s Karuizawa that “the world will demonstrate the firm determination of the G7 to uphold the international order based on the rule of law”. For Germany, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) will take part in the talks in the holiday resort, which will last until Tuesday, 175 kilometers from the capital Tokyo.
In addition to Germany and Japan, the G7 group also includes France, Italy, Canada, the USA and Great Britain. Japan currently holds the G7 presidency.
At the start of the meeting on Sunday evening, Hayashi said that in order to tackle 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.
Baerbock for rapid USA-China meeting
Baerbock urges her US and Chinese colleagues Antony Blinken and Qin Gang to meet quickly. “In my view, it would be important for this meeting to take place in a timely manner,” she said on Sunday evening in a switchover on the ZDF program “Berlin direct”. For Baerbock, the G7 meeting marks the end of a six-day trip to Asia that she began on Thursday. First she visited China and then South Korea.
When asked about possible support for Taiwan by the G7 in the event of an escalation of the conflict with China, Baerbock said on ZDF: “For us, it’s about de-escalating. And that’s why speculating about ‘What if…’ is that Wrong. But you also have to make it clear that we would not tolerate a military escalation.” The G7 also discussed the importance of Sino-US dialogue formats, she added.
Blinken canceled a visit to China at short notice in early February after a suspected Chinese spy balloon was discovered in US airspace. The incident put additional strain on the relationship.
An overview of the most important G7 issues
Ukraine-Russia: G7 foreign ministers are likely to reiterate their call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his war against Ukraine immediately and withdraw all soldiers unconditionally. In the final declaration, there should also be criticism of Moscow’s threatening gestures with its nuclear arsenal. Since the invasion began in February 2022, the G7 have increased pressure on Russia through economic sanctions.
China: China’s increasingly aggressive drive for power is at the background of many talks in Japan – even if Beijing is not officially addressed. The military conduct of the giant empire in the East and South China Seas represents “the greatest strategic challenge” of all time, according to a Japanese security paper.
Indo-Pacific and the Taiwan issue: Not only host Japan fears that China could one day reach for democratic Taiwan in a similar way to Russia after Ukraine. Japan is struggling to form a kind of united front against authoritarian states trying to use force to change the global status quo.
Iran: The foreign ministers also wanted to discuss the situation in Iran. It’s about the nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic, which has been on hold for years. The violent actions of the leadership in Tehran against demonstrators should also play a role.
Afghanistan: Since the Taliban took power again in 2021, militant Islamists have massively restricted women’s rights. Among other things, they excluded girls from schooling and only tolerated men at the country’s universities. Millions of Afghans depend on humanitarian aid for their survival.
