China urges G7 to honor building constructive relations with China

BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Group of Seven (G7) member states should truly deliver on their words about building constructive and stable relations with China and not hindering China's economic progress and development, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday.

Wang made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a related query about the statement issued by the G7 foreign ministers' meeting on Wednesday, which stressed the importance of candid engagement with China and direct expression of concerns to China.

"The G7 foreign ministers' meeting proposed to build constructive and stable relations with China and not to hinder China's economic progress and development," Wang said. "We hope that the G7 member states will truly deliver on their words and work with China to promote the sound development of relations with China based on mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit."

"We firmly reject the G7's groundless accusations that China distorts the global economy and engages in economic coercion," said Wang.

It is precisely G7 members that have included more than 10,000 entities and individuals in sanction lists, used political power to comprehensively suppress specific companies, politicized and weaponized economic and trade issues, and impacted the stability of the international production and supply chain, he said.

"The G7 should do some self-examination. We firmly oppose the G7's wrongful actions of harming China's sovereignty and interfering in China's internal affairs," said Wang.

The South China Sea arbitration initiated by the Philippines is, in essence, an issue of territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation, which is not subject to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the spokesperson said, noting that the so-called award of the arbitration is illegal, null and void.

The G7 cited the South China Sea arbitration to stir up opposition and confrontation, which runs counter to the wishes of regional countries to maintain regional peace and stability, said Wang.

"The key to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait lies in adhering to the one-China principle," Wang said, mentioning that the biggest threat to peace in the Taiwan Strait at present comes from Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities' stubborn adherence to the separatist stance of "Taiwan independence" and external forces' conniving support for it.

Since the G7 countries have all pledged to adhere to the one-China policy, they should honor their words, said Wang.

Issues related to Xinjiang, Xizang, and Hong Kong are all China's internal affairs, in which China will tolerate no foreign interference, Wang said.

"We urge the G7 to abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms governing international relations, manage their own affairs, and stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs under any pretext or name," Wang added.