BEIJING/TOKYO听–听State-backed Chinese mouthpiece Global Times called the听骋7听an “anti-颁丑颈苍补听workshop” on Monday, after Beijing summoned Japan’s envoy and berated Britain in a fiery response to statements issued at the weekend听骋7听summit in Hiroshima.
A joint communique issued on Saturday singled out聽颁丑颈苍补听on issues ranging from Taiwan and maritime claims, to economic coercion and human rights, underscoring the tensions between Beijing and the group of rich countries which includes the United States.
“The US is pushing hard to weave an anti-颁丑颈苍补听net in the Western world,” Global Times said in an editorial on Monday titled ‘骋7听has descended into an anti-颁丑颈苍补听workshop’.
“This is not just a matter of brutal interference in听颁丑颈苍补‘s internal affairs and smearing听颁丑颈苍补, but also an undisguised urge for confrontation between the camps”.
Beijing’s foreign ministry said it firmly opposed the听骋7听statement and late Sunday said it had summoned Japan’s听补尘产补蝉蝉补诲辞谤听to聽颁丑颈苍补听as part of its protest to the summit host.
Russia, a close ally of聽颁丑颈苍补听that was also called out in the听骋7听statement听辞惫别谤听its invasion of Ukraine, said the summit was an聽.
Separately,听颁丑颈苍补‘s embassy in Britain urged London to stop聽聽on Sunday, after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Beijing represents the world’s greatest challenge to security and prosperity.
Despite Beijing’s pointed reaction, U.S. President Joe Biden said he expected a thaw in frosty relations with聽颁丑颈苍补听“very shortly”. The Group of Seven (G7) also includes Canada, France, Germany and Italy.
JAPAN BACKLASH
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned the听闯补辫补苍别蝉别听补尘产补蝉蝉补诲辞谤听to register protests听辞惫别谤听“hype around听颁丑颈苍补-related issues”, a ministry statement late on Sunday said.
Sun said Japan collaborated with the other countries at the听骋7听summit “in activities and joint declarations … to smear and attack听颁丑颈苍补, grossly interfering in听颁丑颈苍补‘s internal affairs, violating the basic principles of international law and the spirit of the four political documents between聽颁丑颈苍补听and Japan,” referring to the听颁丑颈苍补-Japan Joint Statement of 1972.
He said Japan’s听补肠迟颈辞苍蝉听were detrimental to听颁丑颈苍补‘s sovereignty, security and development interests, and that聽颁丑颈苍补听is “strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes” them.
“Japan should correct its understanding of听颁丑颈苍补, grasp strategic autonomy, adhere to the principles of the four political documents between聽颁丑颈苍补听and Japan, and truly promote the stable development of bilateral relations with a constructive attitude,” Sun said.
Hideo Tarumi,听闯补辫补苍别蝉别听补尘产补蝉蝉补诲辞谤听to听颁丑颈苍补, rebutted that it is “natural” for the听骋7听to refer to issues of common concern as it has done in the past and will continue to do so in the future as long as聽颁丑颈苍补听does not change its behavior, according to a readout.
“颁丑颈苍补听should first take positive steps to address those issues of concerns if聽颁丑颈苍补听demands not to refer to them,” Tarumi told Sun, according to the readout.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said during Monday morning briefing that the country’s policy toward聽颁丑颈苍补听has been consistent that it will insist on matters that is needed and urge responsible behavior, while take steps to address concerns and cooperate on common issues. – Reuters
