Leaders from the G7 wealthy democracies on Sunday admonished China for its human rights abuses and unfair economic practices — creating the strongest collective warning the group has sent Beijing since President Xi Jinping’s rise to power nearly a decade ago.
The final statement, issued at the end of the annual G7 summit, directly mentions a number of contentious issues that will roil Beijing — everything from the crackdown in Hong Kong, to encroachment on Taiwan to the use of forced labor in Xinjiang. It also calls for another international study into the origin of the coronavirus in China, and goes after China’s Belt and Road initiative, a global infrastructure development project, offering a $100 billion alternative the countries claim will offer countries less predatory loans and better climate standards.
While several of the G7 countries had previously directed these concerns toward China individually, the collective document is significant in showing a further linking of the U.S. and Europe to better counteract China’s economic and political rise. It’s also a diplomatic win for U.S. President Joe Biden, who came into office in January hoping to win over European allies to a more confrontational stance on China.
"We will promote our values, including by calling on China to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially in relation to Xinjiang and those rights, freedoms and high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong," the leaders said in a joint statement, referencing China’s commitment to honoring the “one country, two systems” framework when it retook control of Hong Kong from the British in 1997.
The move will nearly certainly further inflame tensions between China and western allies. The two sides have been increasingly at odds over the the previous year, exchanging rounds of sanctions as the European Union backs away from an investment pact with China. Now, the G7 countries are explicitly needling China over its most sensitive subjects.
"We underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues," the leaders said, marking the first time they had ever addressed the future of the self-governing island — which China considers to be part of its territory — as Beijing’s air force stokes military tension in the region.
Before the final statement was even issued on Sunday, China preemptively warned the G7 not to dictate global decisions "by a small group of countries."
But it was already clear such warnings would fall on deaf ears at the three-day gathering in the English countryside, where diplomats hammered out the final language for the G7 communiqué.
While the communiqué’s section on forced labor didn't specifically name any one country, the wording is clear as to who it's referencing. A major point of contention between western allies and China currently are the widespread reports that Beijing has forced the Uyghur minority population in the Xinjiang region into internment camps and forced labor. The U.S., Canada and the EU joined forces earlier this year to collectively sanction China over the matter.
"We're concerned by the use of all forms of forced labour in global supply chains, including state-sponsored forced labour of vulnerable groups and minorities, including in the agricultural, solar, and garment sectors,” the leaders said, referencing industries with supply chains that have run through Xinjiang.
"We agree on the importance of upholding human rights and of international labour standards," they added. China has not ratified any International Labour Organization conventions on forced labor, a major sticking point for the stalled investment deal with the EU.
The G7 leaders vowed to “work together” to eradicate forced labor “and to ensure that global supply chains are free from the use of forced labour." A more detailed plan would be put forth by October, they noted.
Even the G7 commitments to tackle the pandemic came with implicit digs at China.
As part of the countries’ collective commitment to provide nearly 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses over the next year, G7 leaders made sure to note the donation came with no expectations of anything in return.
"The United States is providing these half billion doses with no strings attached," Biden said at the start of the summit.
China and Russia have both been accused of using their own vaccine supply as a geopolitical tool to win strategic concessions from other countries — and to undermine the west.
“Our vaccine donations don’t include pressure for favors, or potential concessions,” Biden said.
Similarly, a reiteration of a call for further investigation into the origins of the coronavirus came with a not-so-subtle knock against China, which has fought efforts for a complete inquiry into the possibility that the pandemic may have originated from a lab leak in the country.
The G7 leaders urged “a timely, transparent, expert-led, and science-based” probe, led by the World Health Organization, including “in China.”
Ahead of the communiqué’s release, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London, said: "We always believe that countries, big or small, strong or weak, poor or rich, are equals, and that world affairs should be handled through consultation by all countries. The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone."
In total, the statement is seen as a win for the Biden administration, while EU leaders were satisfied with the dual focus on both competition and cooperation with China.
"Three years ago, China wasn’t even mentioned in the G7 communiqué. This year there is a section on China," a White House official said. "This has been an unusually substantive and productive G7."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made it clear that the scheme to step up G7 investment in Africa was aimed at Beijing's growing influence, saying in an interview with Euronews: "It's first important to convince our partners with us, the investment comes without strings attached compared to China."
Without naming any countries, European Council President Charles Michel added: "Liberal democracies and open societies face pressure from authoritarian regimes. This challenge has prompted us to join forces during the G7.”
A senior EU official said the EU still wants to "constructively engage with China on issues such as climate change.” He added that the other G7 countries are "in agreement" with the EU's quest for a "multifaceted approach" to China involving partnership, competition and systemic rivalry — a common phrase EU leaders use to describe their relationship with China.
On the other hand, the White House official described the joint statement as showing the "major lines of effort that President Biden has asked the world’s democracies to organize around," adding: "On all of them there was strategic convergence."
Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel — a paramount proponent of the EU-China investment agreement — had sharp words for Beijing.
"Our goal is to see significant progress” on labor rights in China, she said when asked by a news outlet. "There has to be progress compared to the current situation.”