G-7 Foreign Ministers Call for ‘Peaceful Resolution’ to China–Taiwan Issues

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (C), accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel (R), holds up his boarding card as he is greeted by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (L), as he boards a train at Tokyo Station to travel to Karuizawa for a G-7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, in Japan on April 16, 2023. Andrew Harnik/Pool/AP Photo

The Group of Seven (G-7) foreign ministers on April 16 called for a “peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues” between China and Taiwan as they gathered in Japan to discuss the situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Japan hosted a three-day G-7 ministerial meeting on April 16 that involved foreign ministers from the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, and the European Union.

The ministers said the unity of G-7 nations is “extremely important” in dealing with the various challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region, including the threats posed by communist China and North Korea, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi emphasized the need to “continue dialogue with China” while also “directly expressing” concerns and urging China to “act as a responsible member of the international community.”

The ministers opposed “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force” and affirmed “the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” to the security of the international community.

“With increasing competition in the region, it is more important than ever that we promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. It is critical to the UK, to our economy, our security and our values,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

They strongly condemned North Korea’s series of missile launches, with Hayashi expressing “grave concern” over the “unprecedented frequency and manner” of the launches by North Korea.

On April 17, the ministers discussed Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and reaffirmed their commitment to fully coordinate and enforce sanctions against Russia and to provide strong support for Ukraine.

“[The ministers] concurred into reinforcing coordination to prevent and respond to evasion of sanctions as well as third-party weapon supply to Russia,” Japan’s Foreign Ministry stated.

French President’s Remarks on Taiwan

The meeting took place on the heels of French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments that urged Europe to stay out of the conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (L) shakes hands with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, as they attend the official welcoming ceremony in Beijing on April 6, 2023. Ng Han Guan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Macron made the remarks in an interview with Politico on April 9, just days after completing his three-day visit to Beijing. He said it would be the “worst thing” for Europe “to become followers” on the Taiwan issue and “take [its] cue from the U.S. agenda” focused on defending Taiwan.

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance in China (IPAC), which is made up of international legislators from 30 countries, issued a statement condemning his remarks and said that Macron “does not speak for Europe.”

“With Beijing ramping up military exercises in the South China Sea and showing continuing support for Russian aggression in Ukraine, this is the worst possible moment to send a signal of indifference over Taiwan,” the IPAC stated.

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chair of the House Select Committee on China, criticized Macron’s remarks as “embarrassing” and “disgraceful,” saying they “play right into the CCP’s [Chinese Communist Party’s] strategy to divide America and Europe.”

“That invites aggression; it actually does not perpetuate peace,” Gallagher told Fox News on April 10.

US Deploys Warship to Taiwan Strait

Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade province that must be united with the mainland by any means necessary, even though Taiwan has never been ruled by the CCP and has its own democratic government.

Beijing staged a three-day military drill around the self-ruled island on April 8 after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in California.

Although the CCP has announced the end of its military exercise around Taiwan, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry vowed to maintain its defense and continue to “keep a close watch” on the Chinese military.

The USS Milius (DDG-69) guided-missile destroyer arrives to join the Forward Deployed Naval Force at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, on May 22, 2018. Issei Kato/Reuters

The United States deployed its guided-missile destroyer USS Milius to the Taiwan Strait on April 16. The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet stated that the warship was conducting a routine transit where “high-seas freedom of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.”

Taiwan’s military stated that it detected 18 Chinese aircraft and four naval vessels near the island on April 16, with four aircraft spotted entering southwest and southeast of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.

In response, Taiwan scrambled aircraft to monitor the Chinese aircraft, mobilized naval vessels, and deployed land-based missile systems.