G7 urges China to pressure Russia to end war in Ukraine

The the leaders of the G7 they asked the Chinese government this Saturday to put pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine in a statement combining his desire to preserve relations with Beijing while envisaging measures to reduce “overdependence on critical supply chains” without achieving a commercial “uncoupling” from the Asian giant.

“We remain ready to nurture a stable and constructive relationship, while recognizing the importance of sincere engagement and direct expression of our concerns,” explained international leaders in a statement released on the second day of meetings at the Hiroshima (Japan) summit.

The G7, as reported by Europa Press, is asking China to “engage in international forums” on aspects ranging from environmental protection to trade, including international conflicts, despite highlighting the “challenges” China presents with its “non-commercial policies that distort the global economy”. .

Ukraine emerges as one of the fundamental issues of the final declaration: “We call on China to pressure Russia to stop its military aggression, and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine,” the G7 leaders point out.

“We encourage China to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on territorial integrity and the principles and goals of the UN Charter, including through direct dialogue with Ukraine,” they added.

Continuing with the international arena, the G7 reiterates its position on the status quo in Taiwan, whose sovereignty Beijing has claimed for decades, and expresses its strong opposition to Chinese expansion in the Indo-Pacific “using force or coercion”.

“China has no legal basis to defend its maritime claims in that area, and we oppose the militarization of its activities,” they point out.

Back to the big picture, however, the G7 leaders want to emphasize that these policy approaches “are not designed to harm China and are not intended to thwart its efforts for economic progress and development.”

“A rising China governed by international rules will be in the global interest. We are not distancing ourselves,” they added before pointing out, however, that the G7 plans to adopt the path of “risk reduction and diversification.”

“We will take individual and collective steps,” they announce, “to invest in our own economic vitality and reduce overdependence on critical supply chains.”