Leaders of the Group of Seven on Sunday rebuked China for human rights in Xinjiang, called for Hong Kong to maintain a high degree of autonomy and demanded a full and thorough investigation into the origins of the coronavirus.
After discussing how to reach a unified position on China, the leaders issued a very critical final statement, which delved into some of the most sensitive issues for Beijing, such as Taiwan.
China’s resurgence as a leading world power is regarded as one of the most important geopolitical events of recent times, along with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, which ended the Cold War.
The rise of China also worries the United States: President Joe Biden regards China as his main strategic competitor and has vowed to confront its “economic abuses” and combat human rights violations.
“We will promote our values, even calling on China to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially in relation to Xinjiang and a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration,” the G7 said.
“We also call for a Phase 2 study in China convened by the WHO on the origins of COVID-19 that is timely, transparent, expert-led and scientifically based, as recommended by the experts’ report,” he added.
The G7 also said it underscored “the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and encourages the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.”
“We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and strongly oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo and increase tensions,” he added.
