Tokyo, 18 April 2023 (GNP): The top diplomats from the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy democracies have pledged to take a tough stance on China’s increasing threats towards Taiwan and North Korea’s long-range missile tests. They are also discussing ways to support Ukraine and punish Russia for its invasion, which will be a major topic of discussion during the talks.
The G-7 leaders will be meeting next month in Hiroshima, and the envoys are meeting in a Japanese hot spring resort town to prepare for this meeting.
Japan’s role as the chairman of this year’s G-7 talks presents an opportunity for coordinated acts against China, given that it is the only Asian member of the group. The G-7 leaders and foreign ministers, including France and Germany, have recently visited China, and the envoys in Karuizawa are expected to exchange their impressions on China’s position regarding several issues, including the war in Ukraine, North Korea, and Taiwan, which is a sensitive point in U.S.-China relations.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi urged the rejection of unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which he described as a turning point for the world.
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The American delegation sees this meeting as a crucial moment for the world’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s challenges to the post-World War II rules-based international order, which are regarded as potent challenges by the G-7 ministers from Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, and the European Union.
The U.S. official stated that the Biden administration aims to bolster support for Ukraine during the talks, including an initiative on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure that was launched at the G-7 meetings in Germany last year. They also want to ensure that military assistance to Kyiv continues.
Additionally, the official emphasized the need to increase punishment against Russia for the conflict, with a focus on economic and financial sanctions that were first mentioned by the G-7 in December 2021, before the invasion.
