Europe’s hawkishness on China comes into focus
Washington Post
23-05-23 04:00
The Group of Seven (G-7) summit in Japan on 28 and 29 May has triggered another round of confrontational statements with China. A G-7 communiqué said that Beijing must do more to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine, condemned its so-called "malign" trade practices and vowed to "foster resilience to economic coercion" by shielding their economies from having too much exposure to China's thriving market and export industry. However, the communiqué also stated that the group's nations "stand prepared to build constructive and stable relations with China." China summoned the Japanese ambassador on 30 May for a dressing down over what a Chinese diplomat termed the G-7's "bloc confrontation and Cold War mentality". A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement lambasted the G-7's "bullying". It began: "The era when a few developed countries in the West willfully interfered in the internal affairs of other countries and manipulated global affairs is gone forever." The summit is seen as the latest proof of increasing Western concern over China's influence. Public opinion has been hardened by Beijing's continent-wide, ambitious infrastructure projects, its belligerence over self-ruled Taiwan and its alleged failure to condemn Russia's presence in Ukraine.