G-7 foreign ministers called on China to “respect human rights and fundamental freedoms” after their first face-to-face meeting in two years on Wednesday (May 5).
British Foreign Minister Raab, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, Canadian Foreign Minister Garneau, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimichi Motegi, French Foreign Minister Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Maas, Italian Foreign Minister Di Maio and EU foreign policy chief Borrelli met in London to discuss security challenges and the epidemic.
Indian Foreign Minister S Raj Sang was also invited to the meeting, but was forced to participate by video link instead after two members of the Indian delegation were found to have tested positive for the new coronavirus. Sugarson had contact with the suspected cases, but he himself did not test positive. After this occurred, British Prime Minister Johnson denied that it was a mistake to hold such an international meeting.
The G-7 issued a lengthy communiqué after a two-day meeting of foreign ministers condemning “human rights violations and abuses” in Xinjiang and Tibet and China’s “arbitrary and coercive economic policies.
“We call on China to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with its obligations under international and domestic law,” the joint statement said.
The joint statement said, “We continue to be deeply concerned about human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet, particularly the crackdown on Uighurs and members of other ethnic and religious minorities, the existence of a large-scale network of ‘political re-education’ camps and reports of forced labor and forced sterilization regimes. “
We agree on the importance of addressing instances of forced labor through our own existing domestic approaches, including by raising awareness and providing advice and support to our business community,” the statement said.”
The statement by the seven foreign ministers said they were united in their concern about practices that undermine “a free and fair economic system,” including trade, investment and development finance.
“We will work collectively to foster global economic resilience in the face of arbitrary and coercive economic policies and practices,” the statement said.
“We urge China to assume and fulfill its obligations and responsibilities consistent with its global economic role,” the statement said.
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