The ministers also raised concerns over the Chinese communist regime’s military build-up and growing nuclear weapons arsenal.
Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) nations on Friday signaled a hard line on China as they affirmed opposition to any unilateral attempts to alter Taiwan’s status by coercion, while notably omitting the bloc’s stance on the “One China” policy from their joint statement.
In a joint statement, the G7 members called for a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues between China and Taiwan, and voiced support for Taiwan’s “meaningful participation” in international organizations.
The ministers warned China against conducting and condoning activities that could threaten the security of “democratic institutions” and raised concerns over the Chinese communist regime’s military build-up and growing nuclear weapons arsenal.
They also called on the Chinese communist regime to engage in “strategic risk reduction discussions” and “promote stability through transparency,” according to the statement.
The G7 statement notably left out a line regarding the bloc’s position on the “One-China” policy, which was included in the November 2024 joint statement.
The One China policy is a diplomatic stance adopted by other nations, which acknowledges China’s claim over Taiwan without necessarily endorsing it. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has never ruled Taiwan, considers the self-ruled island to be a renegade province and has never ruled out the possibility of using force to seize it.
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Separately, the bloc stated in its maritime security declaration that the G7 members’ “basic policies on Taiwan remain unchanged” and emphasized the importance of maintaining “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as indispensable to international security and prosperity.” The declaration also made no mention of the policy.
The G7 members reiterated their opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas—where Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the entire sea, including reefs and islands that overlap with the exclusive economic zones of neighboring countries.
“We condemn China’s illicit, provocative, coercive and dangerous actions that seek unilaterally to alter the status quo in such a way as to risk undermining the stability of regions, including through land reclamations, and building of outposts, as well as their use for military purpose,” the declaration reads.
In their joint statement, G7 foreign ministers raised concerns over China’s ”dangerous maneuvers and water cannons” targeting Philippine and Vietnamese vessels in the South China Sea, as well as the Chinese regime’s efforts to restrict freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed waters.
Both the declaration and joint statement were issued on March 14 following the G7 foreign ministers’ recent meeting in Canada.
The meeting involved foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with the European Union.
In response, the Chinese Embassy in Canada condemned the G7 maritime security declaration as “groundless accusation” and that the situation in the East and South China Seas has been “generally stable.”
The embassy said the issue of Taiwan is “an internal affair of China.”
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry has welcomed the G7 statement and pledged to continue to strengthen cooperation with G7 members and “friendly allies” to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
The CCP has ramped up its military activity around Taiwan in recent years. In the face of an ongoing campaign of military intimidation, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported spotting 20 Chinese warplanes, seven vessels, and one official ship operating around the island on March 12.
The ministry stated that 11 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, prompting Taiwan’s military to deploy its aircraft to monitor their movement.
