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China blasts 'cliquey' G7 over criticism of human rights, Hong Kong and Taiwan

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The leaders of the G7 pose for a group photo near the sea.
The Group of Seven issued a statement criticising China over a range of issues including human rights concerns and Taiwan. (

Reuters: Patrick Semansky


China has denounced a joint statement by the Group of Seven leaders that scolded Beijing over a range of issues, from human rights to Taiwan. 

The G7 leaders on Sunday took China to task over human rights in the heavily Muslim region of Xinjiang, called for Hong Kong to keep a high degree of autonomy, and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait — all highly sensitive issues for Beijing.

China's embassy in London said it was strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed to mentions of Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan that distorted the facts and exposed the "sinister intentions of a few countries such as the United States".

With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging and global economy sluggish, the international community needed unity and cooperation of all countries rather than "cliquey" power politics sowing division, it added.

China was a peace-loving country that advocated cooperation but also had bottom lines, the embassy said.

"China's internal affairs must not be interfered in, China's reputation must not be slandered, and China's interests must not be violated," it added.

"We will resolutely defend our national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and resolutely fight back against all kinds of injustices and infringements imposed on China."

'Countering China'

Taiwan's government welcomed the G7 statement, saying the Chinese-claimed island would be a "force for good" and it would continue to seek even greater international support.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday's statement from the G7 was a significant move forward for the group as leaders rallied around the need to "counter and compete" with China on challenges ranging from safeguarding democracy to the technology race.

A wide shot shows watch towers and barbed wire fence around a building.
Human rights groups say China's "vocational skills education centres" for Uyghur people in Xinjiang are actually work camps. (

Reuters: Thomas Peter


China's embassy said the G7 should do more that is conducive to promoting international cooperation instead of artificially creating confrontation and friction.

"We urge the United States and other members of the G7 to respect the facts, understand the situation, stop slandering China, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop harming China's interests."

The embassy also said work on looking at the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic should not be politicised, after the G7 in the same statement demanded a full and thorough investigation of the origins of coronavirus in China.

The joint expert group on the virus between China and the World Health Organization has been conducting research independently and following WHO procedures, the embassy added.

"Politicians in the United States and other countries ignore facts and science, openly question and deny the conclusions of the joint expert group report, and make unreasonable accusations against China," the embassy said.

NATO to toughen G7 message on China

NATO leaders were expected to brand China as a security risk to the Western alliance for the first time during a post-G7 summit meeting on Monday (local time) 

The NATO summit, described as a "pivotal moment" by secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, aims to show US President Joe Biden that the alliance remains a central support for US efforts to uphold peace and democracy around the world, including standing up to China and its rapid military rise.

"China is coming closer to us. We see them in cyber space, we see China in Africa, but we also see China investing heavily in our own critical infrastructure," he said in a reference to ports and telecoms networks.

Diplomats said the NATO summit's final communique would not call China an adversary but would demonstrate concern, calling it a "systemic" challenge to Atlantic security as it joins Russia with military drills, launches cyber attacks and rapidly builds up its navy.


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