China slams G7, summons Japan envoy over 'smear and attack' campaign

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 May 09:56

The Chinese Foreign Ministry says Japan collaborated with G7 countries at the summit in activities and joint declarations to smear and attack China.

Chinese and Japanese flags flutter in front of the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, China, on October 25, 2018 (Reuters)

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong has summoned the Japanese Ambassador to Beijing, Hideo Tarumito, to register protests over "hype around China-related issues" at the Group of Seven (G7) summit over the weekend, a Ministry statement late on Sunday confirmed.

Chinese regulators also announced that US chip firm, Micron Technology, had failed a security review and would be banned from use in Chinese critical infrastructure.

In a final communique issued at a summit in Hiroshima, G7 leaders warned against China's "militarization" in the South China Sea and said that "peace and stability" in the Taiwan Strait is "indispensable" to global security.

They also voiced concerns about the alleged human rights violations in China, including in Tibet and Xinjiang.

In response, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday accused the G7 of “hindering international peace, undermining regional stability and curbing other countries’ development."

On Japan, Sun considered that the island country collaborated with the other countries at the G7 summit "in activities and joint declarations ... to smear and attack China, grossly interfering in China's internal affairs, violating the basic principles of international law and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan," referring to the China-Japan Joint Statement of 1972.

The Chinese diplomat pointed out that Japan's actions were detrimental to China's sovereignty, security, and development interests, underlining that China is "strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes" them.

"Japan should correct its understanding of China, grasp strategic autonomy, adhere to the principles of the four political documents between China and Japan, and truly promote the stable development of bilateral relations with a constructive attitude," he indicated.

According to a readout, Tarumi claimed it is "natural" for the G7 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 China does not change its behavior.

The Japanese Ambassador told Sun that "China should first take positive steps to address those issues of concerns if China demands not to refer to them," as per the readout.

On Saturday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the worldwide community will not accept the G7's pro-Western principles and will not enable the US-led group to control world affairs.

In a statement, the Ministry underlined that "China will never accept the so-called rules imposed by the few."

It accused the group of using "America-first" policies and trying to impose its will on others, calling into question how little "international credibility means to the G7."

Beijing also accused the group of trivializing peace in the region by supporting Taiwan's independence.