Opposition to China’s G7 Statement: "Do Not Promote Camp Confrontation"
[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] China has urged the major seven countries (G7) that recently issued a joint statement to contain China to "stop provoking conflicts and fostering confrontation."
The G7 foreign ministers, after their meeting in M?nster, Germany on the 3rd and 4th (local time), reiterated the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in their joint statement, stating, "We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the current situation by force or coercion."
Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed "strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" when asked to comment on the G7 (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Japan) foreign ministers' joint statement opposing the use of force against Taiwan during the regular briefing on the 7th.
Spokesperson Zhao urged, "The G7 should no longer adhere to Cold War thinking and ideological prejudice, and should not interfere in other countries' internal affairs."
He also criticized Japan's decision to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Cyber Defense Center, stating that NATO is breaking its promise not to pursue regional expansion, and said, "East Asia is not a battleground for geopolitical rivalry." Furthermore, he added, "Japan should seriously learn from historical lessons, adhere to the path of peaceful development, and refrain from actions that undermine mutual trust among regional countries and harm regional peace and stability."
Regarding the British announcement that the UK trade minister will visit Taiwan to meet President Tsai Ing-wen, Spokesperson Zhao said, "Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, and China firmly opposes any official exchanges of diplomatic countries with the Taiwan region in any form."
He also criticized foreign media reports that the United States is working to induce Japan and the Netherlands to join restrictions on exports of advanced semiconductor equipment to China, saying, "This is not the attitude of a confident major power," and warned, "Trying to block others' paths will ultimately lead oneself into a dead end."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
