By targeting China, G7 ossifies itself

By Zhang Zhouxiang

China is not a G7 member, but it appears in almost every topic discussed at its Hiroshima summit.

When G7 discussed new sanctions against Russia concerning its military conflict with Ukraine, they mentioned China. When they considered "peace and security", their concern was over China. And they are highly likely to highlight the Taiwan question again in their statement, as they did in their foreign ministers' meeting this April although it concerns China's core national interests. Even Reuters noticed China became an "elephant in the room" at the G7 summit.

By preoccupying their schedule with accusations against China at the G7 summit, the West is inventing an imaginary enemy for itself. And it risks turning that imaginary enemy into a real one by interpreting the latter's every move as a "threat".

More than one media and think tank noted there is a growing anti-China consensus formed in Washington and its allies, but they need to know the higher consensus they form, the more rigid their own policies will become. When all flexibility is lost, the West will have no choice but to head into a collision with China that harms their own interests.