Islam Times - China Strongly Condemns G7 Statement about Chinese Taipei, Xinjiang

Islam Times - China has strongly condemned a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the so-called Group of Seven (G7) that voiced support for the secessionist government in Chinese Taipei and accused Beijing of alleged rights abuses in the western Xinjiang region.

In a communique issued after two days of face-to-face meetings in the British capital of London, foreign ministers from the G7 group of countries on Thursday supported Chinese Taipei’s participation in World Health Organization forums and the World Health Assembly, and expressed concern about “any unilateral actions that could escalate tensions” in the Taiwan Strait.

China has sovereignty over the self-ruled Chinese Taipei, and under the “One China” policy, almost all world countries recognize that sovereignty. But successive administrations in the US and other Western governments have been courting officials in Chinese Taipei in an attempted affront to Beijing.

The US has been selling weapons to Chinese Taipei and staging shows of military force around it. More recently, the US has facilitated easier diplomatic contact with the self-ruled island, in violation of Chinese sovereignty.

China has in response ramped up military patrols and drills near the self-ruled island in recent months, trying to assert its sovereignty.

The G7 also called on Beijing to “act responsibly” and stop what it claimed were human rights abuses in Xinjiang region.

Speaking in a news briefing in the capital, Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin censured the allegations as “unfounded” and called the G7 statement a gross interference in the country’s domestic affairs.

The G7 made “unfounded accusations against China and openly intervened in China’s internal affairs,” Wang said, adding that China “strongly condemns” the “wanton destruction of the norms of international relations.”