Beijing rejects interference in its affairs; bloc abandons joint Ukraine statement

Beijing expressed opposition on June 18 to manipulation by the Group of Seven on China-related topics, urging the bloc to stop interfering in China’s internal affairs or provoking conflicts and confrontations.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun made the remarks in response to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s summary on June 17 after hosting the G7 summit, including his remarks on issues related to Taiwan, the South China Sea and the East China Sea, and criticism of China’s so-called “market distortions and overcapacity”.

China has launched a solemn representation over the irresponsible remarks and smears, which interfered in China’s internal affairs and violated the basic norms governing international relations, Guo told a news conference.

“If the G7 really cares about peace in the Taiwan Strait, it should abide by the one-China principle, oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ and support China’s reunification,” he said.

Noting that the current situation in the South China Sea and the East China Sea are generally stable, Guo urged the G7 to stop driving a wedge into regional countries and escalating the situation.

The spokesman said so-called China’s “market distortion or overcapacity” is a total “pseudoproposition”.

“They are excuses used by the G7 to pursue trade protectionism, contain and suppress China’s industrial development,” Guo said, adding that this is politicizing and instrumentalizing economic and trade issues.

China once again urges the grouping to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias, he added.

In other comments, the spokesman deplored and expressed opposition to groundless remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the G7 summit, who accused China of disrupting global trade by offering subsidies to Chinese companies, while also criticizing “export curbs” on rare earth minerals.

China’s industrial subsidy policies strictly abide by the principle of openness, fairness and compliance, as well as the rules of the World Trade Organization, Guo said.

China’s relevant measures on rare earths are in line with international practice and do not target any specific country.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky left the Group of Seven summit on June 17 without a joint statement of support from members or a chance to meet with US President Donald Trump.

The G7 nations struggled to find unity over the conflict in Ukraine after Trump expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and left a day early to address the Israel-Iran conflict from Washington.

Upon arriving at the summit, Trump said the then-Group of Eight had been wrong to expel Russia.

The Kremlin said on June 17 that Trump was right and said the G7 was no longer significant for Russia and looked “rather useless”.

Canada dropped plans for the G7 to issue a strong statement on the conflict in Ukraine after resistance from the United States, a Canadian official told reporters.

Carney said Ottawa would provide C$2 billion ($1.47 billion) in new military assistance for Kyiv as well as impose new financial sanctions on Russia.

Zelensky said he had told the G7 leaders that “diplomacy is now in a state of crisis” and said they need to continue calling on Trump “to use his real influence” to force an end to the fighting, in a post on his Telegram account.

Zelensky had said he hoped to talk to Trump about acquiring more weapons.

After the summit at the Rocky Mountain resort area of Kananaskis concluded, Carney issued a chair statement summarizing deliberations.

“G7 leaders expressed support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” the statement said.

Carney warmly welcomed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on June 17, after two years of tense relations between Canada and India.

After the meeting, India and Canada agreed to restore diplomatic services nearly two years after Ottawa accused New Delhi of alleged involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader, which turned into a row, straining relations between the two countries.

Agencies contributed to this report.

Contact the writer at zhoujin@chinadaily.com.cn