Countering China

"We will promote our values, including by calling on China to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially in relation to Xinjiang and those rights, freedoms and high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong enshrined in the Sino-British joint Declaration."

"[We stress] the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait Issues."

"We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East- and South-China Seas and strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and increase tensions."

G7 Closing statement of joint agreements

"We're in a contest, not with China per se ... with autocrats, autocratic governments around the world, as to whether or not democracies can compare with them in a rapidly changing 21st Century."

"As I've told [Chinese President] Xi Jinping myself, I'm not looking for conflict. Where we cooperation, we'll cooperate; where we disagree I'm going to state this frankly, and we are going to respond to actions that are inconsistent."

U.S. President Joe Biden

The group of economically advanced Western democracies that comprise the G7; the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada expressed its concern over the issue of forced labour in global supply chains inclusive of the agricultural, solar and garment sectors. All of which issues Beijing has repeatedly and forcefully rejected. From its perspective, efforts by Western powers to contain China are doomed to failure.

 

 As far as Beijing is concerned -- and its concern was conveyed by China's mission in the United Kingdom -- responding to Western assertions over China's growing influence, in efforts to counteract that influence and to contain China, it charges that Western powers remain gripped by an outdated imperial mindset, expressed by humiliating China.

 

Clearly one gross humiliation represents the G7 demanding a complete and thorough investigation of the origins of the coronavirus that appeared in Wuhan and that has gone on to devastate populations worldwide, along with the global economy. The final agreed-upon G7 communique, highly critical of Beijing, delved into areas that China insists are off limits to any outside interference of its sovereignty. The call for a transparent Phase 2 COVID-19 Origins study to be convened by the World Health Organization is anathema to Beijing.

Again and again China has responded to allegations citing its treatment of the Uyghurs, Hong Kong independence, and Taiwan's status as a free independent state, that these are internal issues; matters of no interest to any other country. Such efforts by Western powers to rein in China's ambitions have been characterized by Beijing as doomed to fail. Western powers' attempts to contain China reflect major powers still in the grip of an outdated imperial mindset following years of humiliating China.

That United Nations experts in human rights issues claim that over a million people, mostly Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have had their freedom and liberty dramatically curtailed as they have been detained in vast camps n Xinjiang in northwest China. Accusations that China characterizes as preposterous, nothing but slander. That all accusations of forced labour or abuse is without substance.

The camps, Beijing stresses, are in reality vocational centres, designed to eradicate extremism and having nothing whatever to do with forced labour. They are no longer even in operation, counters China.  Since late 2019, all those in the camps had "graduated".  "Stop slandering China, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop harming China's interests", protested a spokesman from the Chinese Embassy in London.

"[China is a peace-loving country that advocates cooperation, but also has its bottom lines]."

"China's internal affairs must not be interfered in, China's reputation must not be slandered, and China's interests must not be violated,"

"We will resolutely defend our national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and resolutely fight back against all kinds of injustices and infringements imposed on China."

China's U.K. Embassy

The Chinese national flag is seen in Beijing, China. Photo: Reuters