G7 warns China on military activities in South China Sea, urges it to press Russia to exit Ukraine

Body representing most of world’s largest economies tells Beijing that playing by international rules ‘would be of global interest’
Amid increasing criticism of China’s conduct in South China Sea, G7 leaders say no legal basis for its maritime expansion there

Igor Patrickin Washington

Published: 6:21am, 7 Dec 2023

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The G7 on Wednesday issued a pointed warning on China’s militarisation of the South China Sea and called for Beijing to press Russia for an unconditional withdrawal Afrom Ukraine.

The body representing most of the world’s largest economies had Beijing squarely in mind after convening a virtual meeting attended by its members’ heads of state, with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East also figuring prominently.

In a statement, it urged China to “press Russia to stop its military aggression” and to “support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” in line with the principles of the UN Charter.

While the Group of 7 leaders reaffirmed a commitment to building “constructive and stable relations with China”, they said Beijing must abide by international rules and address challenges like climate change and debt sustainability in vulnerable countries.

The G7 summit leaders appear on a monitor during a video conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday. Photo: Handout via Reuters

“A growing China that plays by international rules would be of global interest,” the leaders said in the statement.

“We are not decoupling or turning inwards. At the same time, we recognise that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying.”

The group added it would take steps “individually and collectively” to invest in their “own economic vibrancy” as well as “reduce excessive dependencies in our critical supply chains.”

With respect to the South China Sea, the leaders expressed their opposition to “China’s expansive maritime claims and militarisation activities” in the highly disputed region.

Philippines stands out in Asean over embrace of US’ Indo-Pacific strategy

The Chinese Navy has increasingly drawn criticism from southeast Asian countries for what has been described as belligerent conduct.

On Sunday, the Philippines accused China of “invading” a reef off its coast after more than 135 of its military boats were spotted in the South China Sea.

Whitsun Reef, also referred to as Julian Felipe Reef by Manila, lies about 320 kilometres (199 miles) off the Philippine coast. The island nation claims it as part of its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

In recent years, however, military and Chinese ships have been sighted in its vicinity more frequently.

The G7 leaders on Wednesday said there was no legal basis for Chinese maritime expansion in the South China Sea.

They called on Beijing to respect the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, also known as Unclos, and the decision made by The Hague’s Permanent Arbitration Court in 2016.

In that case, the court ruled in favour of the Philippines, invalidating China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea. The 479-page ruling declared Beijing’s assertion of historical rights within its nine-dash line legally baseless.

The tribunal also found Beijing in violation of Manila’s sovereign rights by obstructing oil exploration, prohibiting Philippine fishing activities, allowing Chinese fishing operations and undertaking environmentally damaging land reclamation.

Xi calls on coastguard to enforce law, defend China’s territorial sovereignty

On Wednesday, the G7 sought to stress the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait and highlighted China’s human rights record.

The group also emphasised Hong Kong’s right to autonomy under the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution agreed between Britain and China before the 1997 handover.

“We will keep voicing our concerns about the human rights situation in China, including in Tibet and Xinjiang where forced labour is of major concern to us,” the statement read, referring to two autonomous regions in the country where the treatment of ethnic minorities has proved a geopolitical flashpoint.

It added: “We call on China to honour its commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, which enshrine rights, freedoms and a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong.”

On the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the Biden administration in a separate statement praised the G7 countries for “their commitment to working closely together as they each respond in real time to events around the world”.

‘Forgotten’ since Gaza war, Ukraine says no ceasefire unless Russia withdraws

US President Joe Biden also thanked the leaders for their “enduring support of Israel” and Ukrainians “in their fight for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

In Washington, however, Biden’s request that American lawmakers support a US$106 billion supplemental aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan went unheeded.

Senate Republicans led opposition to the measure in a procedural vote on Wednesday, defeating it by a 51-49 margin.

Republicans said the bill did not adequately address America’s own border security and immigration crisis. Bipartisan consensus on the issue has been elusive to date.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, warned that if Congress recessed for the holidays without passing the package, “Ukraine may fall, democracy in Europe will be imperilled and those who think [Russian President] Vladimir Putin will stop merely at Ukraine wilfully ignore the clear and unmistakable warnings of history”.

Additional reporting by Khushboo Razdan in Washington