G7 urges China to press Russia to ‘immediately, completely’ end war with Ukraine
2 min read . Updated: 20 May 2023, 03:01 PM IST
PremiumThe G7 countries told China that they did not want to harm China and were seeking ‘constructive and stable' relation’sThey have asked China to pressurise Russia to end military aggression in Ukraine
The Group of seven nations (G7) has urged China to pressure its strategic partner Russia to end its war on Ukraine.
The G7 includes Japan, this year's host of the leader's annual summit, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, and Italy, as well as the European Union.
The G7 countries told China that they did not want to harm China and were seeking “constructive and stable relations" with the communist country. However, they asked China to pressurise Russia to end military aggression in Ukraine.
"We call on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression, and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine," the G7 countries said.
“We encourage China to support a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on territorial integrity and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter," it added.
The Group emphasised that Chinese cooperation is crucial in containing the year-long between Ukraine and Russia.
The joint communique stated that the leaders of the Group of Seven countries are taking concrete steps to support Ukraine for "as long as it takes" in the face of Russia's illegal war of aggression.
At Hiroshima, the "symbol of peace", the G7 members have pledged to mobilize all their policy instruments and, together with Ukraine, make every effort to bring a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as possible.
The G7 members condemned Russia's manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations (UN) and the impact of Russia's war on the rest of the world.
The statement further read, fifteen months of Russia's aggression has cost thousands of lives, inflicted immense suffering on the people of Ukraine, and imperiled access to food and energy for many of the world's most vulnerable people.
To ensure a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine, the G7 members have urged Russia to stop its ongoing aggression.
The G7 leaders also welcomed the participation of leaders of India, Australia, Brazil, Comoros, the Cook Islands, Indonesia, Korea, and Vietnam.
Further, the G7 leaders expressed “serious concern" about the situation in the East and South China seas, where Beijing has been expanding its military presence and threatening to use force to exert its control over self-governed Taiwan.
They called for a “peaceful resolution" of China's claim to Taiwan, which has remained unresolved since the communists gained power on the Chinese mainland in 1949.
The G7 also united in voicing concerns about human rights in China, including in Tibet, Hong Kong, and in the far western region of Xinjiang, where the issue of forced labor is a perennial issue.
But the statement also sought to counter accusations that the G7 is seeking to prevent China's rise as a global power.
Meanwhile, Chinese officials have reacted to various G7 statements about economic coercion and other issues by accusing the US and other members of hypocrisy.
The state-run Xinhua News Agency ran a scathing editorial Friday describing such allegations as a “witch hunt," bullying, and "superpower suppression."