China Rejects G7 Criticism Over Military Buildup, Accuses Bloc of “Stirring Up Disputes”
China on Thursday strongly rejected accusations from the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers over its military buildup and rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal, urging the bloc to “stop stirring up disputes, heightening tensions, and undermining regional peace under the pretext of maritime issues.”
“The situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea remains generally stable,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing, according to the Global Times. He said the G7 remarks “ignored facts, distorted right and wrong, and deliberately smeared China while grossly interfering in its internal affairs,” adding that Beijing is “strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes” the statement.
The G7 foreign ministers — representing Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, and the EU — issued a joint statement following their meeting in Ontario, Canada, expressing concern over China’s growing military power and “rapid increase” in its nuclear capabilities. They reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposed “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion,” and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues through dialogue. Responding to criticism over Ukraine, Lin reiterated that China has “never provided lethal weapons to any party” and that the Taiwan issue is “purely an internal affair for China.”
