G7 foreign ministers meet face-to-face for the first time in more than two years to consult on how to jointly address the Chinese Communist Party. 4 May 2021 London AP- Stefan Rousseau
G7 foreign ministers discussed a possible common front against an increasingly assertive China at their first face-to-face meeting in more than two years on May 4. But British Foreign Secretary George Raab, the rotating chairman, said the “door is open” to improving relations with the Chinese Communist Party.
AFP reported in London that the G-7 foreign ministers devoted their first meeting to China after a dinner devoted to Iran and North Korea’s nuclear program. The intention of the Chinese Communist Party, a major economic player, to assert itself as a military power and exert influence around the world is a cause for concern for the West.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told reporters Monday, “Our goal is not to try to contain the Chinese Communist Party. What we’re trying to do is to preserve a rules-based international order. He added that our nation has invested so much over the last several decades… , not only for our own citizens, but also for people around the world, including China.”
Blinken pledged “strong cooperation” with Britain to press Beijing on the crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and the treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. Washington has described the crackdown on the Uighurs in Xinjiang as “genocide.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called on “Beijing to keep the promises they have made,” including to Hong Kong, which it promised to keep as an independent system (one country, two systems) before London handed over its colony to Beijing in 1997.
The Gates Are Open
London and Washington have adopted a common approach to foreign policy based on their “special relationship,” particularly on Russia and China.
At a press conference on Monday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who holds the presidency of the Group of Seven, said the “door is open” to improving relations with the Chinese Communist Party. It is important to work “constructively” with the Chinese Communist Party, especially on climate change. But that depends on Beijing’s behavior and actions, he added.”
Until Wednesday, the diplomatic heads of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the U.S. worked to discuss a joint response to the global threat, AFP said. Most countries in the G-7 share common concerns on China. But some countries have different approaches.
Japan, which has a history of tensions with China, has refrained from joining the West in imposing sanctions for fear of inflaming relations with its giant neighbor and trading partner.
Italy has been seen as one of the most friendly of Western countries toward the Communist Party of China. The country signed on in 2019 to the “Belt and Road” initiative for large-scale infrastructure development. But in March, Rome and the European Union summoned the Chinese ambassador at the same time, amid controversy over concerns about the treatment of Uighurs.
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