G-7 ministers unite to condemn Chinese and Russian 'rule by force'

France reaffirms that it's on same page after Macron's Taiwan remarks

Group of Seven foreign ministers on April 18 wrapped up their three-day meeting in Karuizawa, Japan. (Photo by Tomoki Mera)

YUKIHIRO SAKAGUCHI, Nikkei staff writerApril 19, 2023 01:40 JST

 

KARUIZAWA, Japan -- Group of Seven foreign ministers took pains to project a united front against China's and Russia's pursuit of "rule by force" at their meeting this week amid growing concern about a rift over how to handle the tensions surrounding Taiwan.

Cooperation among the top diplomats is "closer than ever," Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference after the meeting wrapped up Tuesday. But the reality within the group is more complicated.

Hayashi made the point of revealing comments by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna after Monday’s discussions on the Indo-Pacific region, and China's actions there.  

Paris opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo by force and seeks a peaceful resolution to the tensions between Beijing and Taiwan, Hayashi quoted Colonna as saying.

This was a departure from the custom of not discussing other officials' remarks at international meetings, underscoring the G-7's alarm over a verbal wrench in the works from French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month.

"Is it in [Europeans'] interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No," Macron told U.S. and French reporters after a three-day state visit to China. "The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. agenda and a Chinese overreaction."

After his remarks, the French government scrambled to reassure Japan that its position on Taiwan had not actually changed. But the problem is rooted in a long-standing concern about differences between the U.S. and Europe in their attitudes toward China.

"There is still something of a gap in perceptions of the China challenge among the United States, Japan and Europe, as President Macron's recent unfortunate comments about Taiwan suggest," said Christopher Johnstone, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former East Asia director on the U.S. National Security Council.

Europe is attracted to the massive Chinese market. Macron brought a sizable delegation of executives from major companies on his trip there. Some in the U.S. have expressed displeasure about companies like Airbus taking huge orders from China.

In the run-up to the upcoming series of G-7 meetings, China invited a string of leaders and top diplomats from Europe and Japan -- including Macron and Hayashi -- to Beijing, where they were welcomed by President Xi Jinping or Premier Li Qiang.

Meanwhile, a previously planned visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has yet to move forward. Dialogue between Washington and Beijing has stalled since the downing of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon by the U.S. military, with no American cabinet members visiting China. Macron's remarks on Taiwan seem to play into Beijing's hopes of driving a wedge into the G-7.

Domestic politics appears to have been a factor as well. An Ipsos poll released April 12 put Macron's approval rating at 28% -- its lowest since May 2019 -- after he forced through a highly unpopular pension reform plan. The president may have hoped to make up lost ground by flaunting France's diplomatic independence.

U.S. President Joe Biden's approval rating is stuck in the low 40s as he prepares for next year's presidential election. With both Congress and the public leaning hawkish on China, looking weak would be politically risky.

There are concerns that Europe’s perceived lack of commitment to the Taiwan issue could amplify calls within the U.S. Republican Party to cut back support for Ukraine.

"If, in fact, Macron speaks for all of Europe, and their position now is they're not going to pick sides between the U.S. and China over Taiwan, then maybe we shouldn't be picking sides, either," Sen. Marco Rubio said in a video on Twitter. "Maybe we should basically say, 'We're going to focus on Taiwan and the threats that China poses, and you guys handle Ukraine and Europe.'"

As China and Russia work to win over developing countries in regions such as the Middle East and Latin America, the G-7 faces greater pressure to forge partnerships that go beyond shared values in order to maintain its international leadership role.

This is a reason why the group has offered support to emerging economies squeezed by the surge in food and energy prices sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and emphasized its focus on the Global South. Cooperation with these countries is key to ensuring the effectiveness of sanctions against Russia.

Unity among the G-7 is essential as well. "If they are able to forge a consensus amongst themselves, it can influence the global agenda," said Tobias Harris, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. "Basically, if the G-7 did not already exist, it would be imperative to invent it."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/G-7-in-Japan/G-7-ministers-unite-to-condemn-Chinese-and-Russian-rule-by-force