G7 on Russia and China. Ministerial meeting, joint statement

In the document released after three days of talks in the Japanese resort of Karuizawa, representatives of the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the European Union stressed a “strong sense of solidarity” in the face of serious threats to the international system, including Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine.

“Russia must immediately and unconditionally withdraw all forces and equipment from Ukraine. Today we renew our commitment to support Ukraine as long as necessary,” the ministers wrote. At the same time, they expressed their support for the peace formula put forward by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The statement condemned “Russia’s reckless nuclear diplomacy and its threat to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus” and its occupation and militarization of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Foreign ministers warned that Russia’s use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons would have dire consequences.

Ministers of the G7 countries announced the strengthening of economic sanctions against Russia, the coordination of their full implementation and the fight against attempts to avoid restrictions with the help of third countries. They called on such states to stop supporting the Russian war or face “severe costs”.

The foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to bring to justice those responsible for war crimes and other atrocities, including attacks on civilians and the deportation of Ukrainian children. They condemned the use of Russia’s food and energy resources as weapons.

In a joint statement, the ministers outlined the importance of maintaining a direct dialogue with China and the need to cooperate with it on issues such as climate change, biodiversity, global health and gender equality. They asked China to “behave as a responsible member of the international community”.

“We remind China of the need to respect the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and refrain from threats, coercion, intimidation and the use of force. We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo through force or coercion. Resist” – they wrote.

Diplomatic leaders emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which they considered “an indispensable element for the security and prosperity of the international community.” Their basic stance on Taiwan, including the “One China” policy, remained unchanged, but they called for a peaceful settlement of differences across the Taiwan Strait.

They also expressed concern over reports of human rights abuses and persecution in China, including in Xinjiang and Tibet, and the deep erosion of autonomy and freedoms in Hong Kong.

The ministers condemned North Korea for “an unprecedented number of illegally launched ballistic missiles,” including the April 13 missile test, when Pyongyang said it had tested a new type of solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile.

The report condemned the military coup and the actions of the ruling junta in Burma, and expressed concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and Iran’s commitment not to acquire nuclear weapons. The G7 foreign ministers also raised the issue of cooperation with Central Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.