G7 Foreign Ministers Vow to Increase Russia Sanctions, Slam China

The ministers held three days of talks in Japan

On Tuesday, the foreign ministers of the G7 nations vowed to increase sanctions on Russia and issued a scathing statement against Beijing after three days of talks in Japan.

The foreign ministers of the US, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan said in a joint statement that they would “intensify” sanctions against Russia and threatened countries that looked to circumvent sanctions or provide Moscow with support.

“We remain committed to intensifying sanctions against Russia, coordinating and fully enforcing them, including through the Enforcement Coordination Mechanism, and countering Russia’s and third parties’ attempts to evade and undermine our sanctions measures. We reiterate our call on third parties to cease assistance to Russia’s war, or face severe costs,” the statement said.

Concerning China, the ministers said they recognize “the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China.” They acknowledged the need to “work together with China on global challenges” but went on to slam Beijing.

“We reiterate our call for China to act as a responsible member of the international community,” the ministers said. They slammed China for its actions in the South China Sea, Hong Kong, and over allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet.

“We remind China of the need to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and abstain from threats, coercion, intimidation, or the use of force,” they said. The ministers also mentioned Taiwan, saying they “reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

In response to the statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, “The G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs and maliciously smeared and discredited China.”

“The communiqué reflects the group’s arrogance, prejudice, and deliberate desire to block and contain China. We deplore and reject this and have made a strong démarche to the host Japan,” Wang added.

The ministers also condemned North Korea’s recent weapons tests, which have been provoked by the resumption of massive US-South Korea war games. The meeting comes about a month before a summit of G7 leaders will be held in Hiroshima, Japan, from May 19-21.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.