G7 communique reveals Washington has imposed its will to make it a G1

People rally in a protest against the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, Japan, May 20, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

This is an editorial from China Daily.

The communique issued at the conclusion of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, shows the extent to which the other members are in thrall to the United States.

As the China-related parts of the document make clear, Washington has successfully imprinted its disposition to act as the common will of the group.

The so-called regional issues the G7 group took advantage of to smear and attack Beijing, ranging from the Taiwan question to the situations in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang, are all China's internal affairs.

While jointly affirming the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as "indispensable" to security and prosperity in the international community, they said nothing about the need to oppose "Taiwan independence", even though they said their one-China policy had not changed. Upholding the one-China principle is a prerequisite for diplomatic relations with Beijing.

The other six countries of the group are well aware that it is Washington that is playing the "Taiwan card", which has triggered waves of tensions across the Strait. And it is the secessionist-minded authorities in Taipei, with the collusion of Washington, that seek to change the status quo of the Strait.

What consolidates the collective will of the group is that, as loyal acolytes of the US, the other six countries enjoy privileged status in its invited-members-only club. Should they choose not to follow Washington's lead, they risk punishment and expulsion from the group as happened to Russia which led to eight becoming seven. That in turn has enabled Washington to plan, orchestrate, manipulate and prolong the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The other six members, by surrendering their strategic autonomy, have exposed the hollowness of the "democratic values" that Washington claims is the common bond among the members of the group.

Instead, "the values" the group upholds are now military suppression, diplomatic coercion and trade bullying, all carried out under the banner of "democracy" in a bid to obstruct reform of the international order so that it is more representative of the emerging market economies and less-developed countries. While claiming "to keep the door open to cooperation", the communique made it quite plain that contrary to its claims, the G7's policy approaches are designed to harm China and to thwart the country's economic progress and development.

As all the members know, including the US, that does not serve their interests. Yet the notion of American exceptionalism now has such a hold on Washington, it has become a psychosis. In its delusion, it is trying to impose that notion on others.

As such, although the G7 makes high-sounding claims about "promoting a peaceful, stable and prosperous world", what it does is the US' bidding. That in effect does the contrary, undermining peace, sabotaging stability and stifling the development of other countries.