Tough G7 statement drops 'one China' reference from Taiwan language

By Daphne Psaledakis

LA MALBAIE, Canada (Reuters) -G7 foreign ministers took a tough stance on China on Friday, stepping up language on Taiwan and omitting some conciliatory references from past statements, including to "one China" policies.

A statement by ministers meeting in Canada mirrored a February Japan-U.S. statement in condemning "coercion" toward Taiwan, language that heartened Taipei in its increasingly tense standoffs with Beijing.

Compared to a G7 foreign ministers' statement in November, the statement added members' concerns over China's nuclear buildup, although it omitted references to their concerns about Beijing's human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.

Also missing were references stressing the desire for "constructive and stable relations with China" and recognizing the "importance of direct and candid engagement to express concerns and manage differences."

The statement dropped past reassurances, recently stated in November, that there is "no change in the basic position of the G7 members on Taiwan, including stated One-China policies," as well as that the G7 is "not decoupling or turning inwards" and recognizing the importance of China in global trade.

The so-called one China policy, which recognizes Beijing as the official government of China and ensures that ties with Taipei remain unofficial, has been the bedrock of Western dealings with China and Taiwan for decades. The omission is sure to be a significant concern for Beijing.      

Referring again to Taiwan, a self-governed island China claims as its own, the statement said the ministers "encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues and reiterated their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion."

The G7 statements "ignore facts and China's solemn position, grossly interfere in China's internal affairs, and blatantly smear China," a spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Canada said in a statement.

China "resolutely opposes the G7's misdeeds of harming China's sovereignty," the spokesperson said, adding that "the key to upholding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait lies in abiding by the one-China principle."

U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba introduced the reference to "coercion" in the context of stepped-up Chinese military pressure against Taiwan at a summit last month.

Trump has installed China hawks in key positions in his administration although his exact approach toward Beijing remains unclear and his administration has been discussing a possible summit soon with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Still focusing on China, the G7 foreign ministers, who have been meeting in the remote tourist town of La Malbaie, Canada, this week, said they were seriously concerned by the situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

Addressing China's actions against the Philippines and Vietnam, they expressed concern over the increasing use of "dangerous maneuvers and water cannons" and efforts to restrict freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

The members also expressed concern about China's non-market policies and practices, saying these were leading to harmful over-capacity and market distortions. They called on Beijing to refrain from adopting export control measures that could lead to significant supply chain disruptions.

In response, the Chinese Embassy in Canada said the Asia-Pacific region is "not a chessboard for geopolitical rivalries", and urged the G7 to "abandon the Cold War mentality and stop creating bloc confrontation and fueling tensions in the region."

The embassy also rejects the G7's "groundless" accusations of China's over-capacity and market distortions, saying "it is precisely the G7 members that have politicized and weaponized economic and trade issues." 

(Reporting by John Irish and Daphne Psaledakis in La Malbaie, Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom in Washington and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Rod Nickel and Jacqueline Wong)