BARI: Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations during their meeting in Italy on Friday hardened their tone against China, warning Beijing to stop sending weapons components to Russia and play by the rules on trade, according to a draft summit statement.
The G7 summit, held in Puglia, Italy, has intensified its focus on China amid escalating concerns over Beijing’s role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its trade policies that have raised alarms among Western nations.
The draft statement from the G7 meeting calls on China to halt the transfer of dual-use materials, including weapons components, which are being utilized in Russia’s defense sector. “We call on China to cease the transfer of dual-use materials, including weapons components and equipment, that are inputs for Russia’s defense sector,” according to a draft statement seen by AFP.
Additionally, the G7 expressed opposition to China’s militarization and coercive activities in the South China Sea. “We oppose China’s militarization, and coercive and intimidation activities in the South China Sea,” the statement read, using stronger language than at last year’s summit in Japan.
The summit, attended by leaders from the United States, Japan, France, Germany, Canada, Britain, and host country Italy, underscored a unified stance against China’s actions. The leaders emphasized the need for China to comply with international norms and refrain from actions that threaten global stability. “We express our concerns about China’s persistent industrial targeting and comprehensive non-market policies,” the G7 summit draft said.
The G7 nations agreed to provide a new $50-billion loan to Ukraine, utilizing profits from frozen Russian assets.
The draft statement also addressed concerns over China’s trade practices, particularly its industrial overcapacity and non-market policies that have led to market distortions and harmful global spillovers. The G7 called on China to address these issues and refrain from restricting exports of critical minerals vital for key global industries.
Furthermore, the G7 expressed alarm over accusations that China has aided in expanding Russia’s armed forces, particularly through joint production of drones and exports of machine tools essential for ballistic missiles. The summit called on financial institutions to refrain from supporting Russia’s military activities and pledged to take further steps to deter and disrupt such behavior.
