bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Shi Jiangtao

Finbarr Bermingham

Leaders of the Group of 7 industrialised countries wrapped up their weekend meeting in Cornwall with China firmly in its sights.
In a statement to be released on Sunday night, the leaders call for a fresh investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic and criticise China’s human rights record.
The statement echoes calls from the United States, the European Union and Britain for further examination of the source of Covid-19, which was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. 
Along with the EU, the group – comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US – also home in on China’s human rights record, referring to the alleged persecution of Uygurs in Xinjiang and a crackdown on political opponents in Hong Kong. 
G7 leaders turn attention to China with announcement of global version of Biden’s ‘build back better’ plan
It is a contrast to last year’s online summit when China did not feature in the communique at all. 
“The G7 ends today. We spent three days trying to align the positions of the world’s biggest democracies,” EU Council president Charles Michel said on the sidelines of the summit. 
“We see that liberal democracies and open societies face pressure from authoritarian regimes. This challenge has prompted us to join forces during the G7, not only to be able to respond under pressure or attack but also to spread our values of freedom, rule of law and respect for human rights,” Michel said without referring to China.
In a statement the White House said: “The United States and our G7 partners remain deeply concerned by the use of all forms of forced labor in global supply chains, including state-sponsored forced labor of vulnerable groups and minorities and supply chains of the agricultural, solar, and garment sectors– the main supply chains of concern in Xinjiang.”
But Beijing appeared to stand firm as Washington used the summit to rally its allies to take on China.
“We always believe that countries, big or small, strong or weak, poor or rich, are equals, and that world affairs should be handled through consultation by all countries,” the Chinese embassy in London said after the talks on Saturday. “The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone.
“There is only one set of rules for the world, that is, the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, not the so-called rules formulated by a small number of countries.”
Observers said Beijing’s defiant response was aimed at countries that were sceptical of the Biden administration’s China-focused strategy during the Covid-19 pandemic.


At their first face-to-face summit since 2019, leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the European Union supported a US-led global infrastructure plan called Build Back Better World (B3W).
According to the White House, the plan would “collectively catalyse” hundreds of billions of infrastructure investment needed by developing nations, in a bid to compete with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy and overseas investment scheme.
Shi Yinhong, a US relations specialist at Beijing’s Renmin University, said the US plan was “not good news for China”.
“All of the stated goals of the B3W, described as a values-driven, transparent and sustainable infrastructure partnership, are obviously targeting China,” Shi said.
The plan’s unveiling comes as the administration of US President Joe Biden reviews its China policy and steps up its alliance-based strategy to push back against China’s diplomatic and military assertiveness and alleged abuses over Xinjiang and Hong Kong. It also comes as the US economy bounces back from recession, with the United States and Britain making big gains in controlling the pandemic. 
Shi said the infrastructure plan and Biden’s efforts to unite allies to confront China were the basis of the emerging Biden doctrine, which was essentially about winning the competition with China and showcasing the superiority of the democratic system.
“It could easily be turned into a key part of the US-led ideological struggle with China. It could be defined as a rather belated offensive to push back against China’s belt and road project, which has shown signs of retreat especially after the coronavirus crisis,” he said.
G7 leaders turn attention to China with announcement of global version of Biden’s ‘build back better’ plan
It was not immediately clear how the plan would work or how much capital it would ultimately allocate.
Underlining unease and tensions among US allies, especially those in Europe, about Biden’s desire to call out Beijing over human rights in the final summit communique, a senior US administration official sought to tone down the anti-China rhetoric.
“This is not just about confronting or taking on China. But until now we haven’t offered a positive alternative that reflects our values, our standards and our way of doing business,” Reuters reported the official as saying.
Britain, Japan, Canada have joined the US in calling for a unified approach on China and pressing for specific language to criticise China’s alleged forced labour in Xinjiang.
But European leaders, particularly French President Emmanuel Macron and the outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, are wary of further antagonising China, considering their close trade ties with Beijing and China’s importance to the global climate fight.
Zhu Feng, an expert on US affairs at Nanjing University, said it was clear that many countries did not see eye to eye on Biden’s confrontational approach to China.
“Most countries have yet to find a solution to the still ravaging pandemic and they don’t necessarily agree to place China at the front and centre of the first G7 summit since Covid-19 broke out. It remains uncertain if Biden’s tough stance on China could garner sweeping support from its allies,” he said.
Pang Zhongying, an international affairs expert at the Ocean University of China, said the divisions between Washington and its allies should not be overstated.
“This year’s G7 summit is of particular importance to Western democracies because it is happening at a critical time when they have to work together to address the China challenge in the middle of an arduous campaign to seek economic recovery and overcome the coronavirus crisis,” he said.
Smiling G7 leaders kick off summit with focus on coronavirus, climate change and China
Pang said Beijing should refrain from jumping to hasty conclusions that everything at the summit was about containing China. “It is true that the US-led efforts will pose challenges to China, but it is equally important for Beijing to continue its efforts to improve ties with some of the US allies to avoid slipping into a new cold war,” Pang said.
Shi agreed, noting there was little sign of fundamental differences among Western countries over the need to deal with challenges from China.
He said remarks by Yang Jiechi, China’s most senior foreign policy official, during a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday, set the tone for Beijing’s approach on the Biden doctrine.
“His message is clear that the country has no intention to adjust or alter its course of development chosen by the party, no matter what the US administration may do,” Shi said.


Russian shadow tanker’s Indian captain, crew in French custody

Can US-led bloc ease China’s ‘vice-like grip’ on rare earths?

Japan firms seen ‘stockpiling’ rare earths as Tokyo looks to G7 in face of China controls

Greek minister takes over as Eurogroup president, marking historic turnaround

G7 takes aim at China on coronavirus and human rights

US President Joe Biden (right) has been seeking to rally allies to counter China. Photo: AP

G7 to roll out green rival to belt and road with US rallying support to confront China

The G7 will convene at the Carbis Bay seaside resort in Cornwall on Friday. After the summit, Joe Biden, on his first overseas trip as US president, will attend talks with the EU and Nato in Brussels and with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Geneva. Photo: Reuters

[Shutterstock] We know you might be dealing with climate anxiety, but there are still ways ro fight, or even reverse, some of the effects of climate change. Royalty-free stock photo ID: 1645575217 Sad farmer kid is sitting in drought land, planting trees green plant on cracked barren soil background. Affected of global warming made climate change. Water shortage and drought concept.

Xinjiang cotton: why it is so hard to find out the truth about forced labour claims

Independent investigators have urged China to allow unfettered access to Xinjiang to look into allegations of forced labour. Illustration: Henry Wong

The ILO says unfettered on-the-ground access to sites and workers who can speak without fear of punishment is essential to verify claims about Xinjiang cotton. Photo: Reuters

Xinjiang cotton ban, forced labour claims push China to step up plans for domestic Better Cotton Initiative

According to its website, the Better Cotton Initiative has 2,096 members around the world, including retailers, brands, suppliers and manufacturers, with 491 in China. Photo: Reuters

According to its website, the Better Cotton Initiative has 2,096 members around the world, including retailers, brands, suppliers and manufacturers, with 491 in China. Photo: SCMPOST

News

China

Diplomacy

Military

Asia


Leaders to end meeting with call for fresh Covid-19 origins investigation and criticism of Beijing’s actions in Xinjiang
Chinese embassy in London stands firm, says the days of small group dictating global decisions are gone



Leaders to end meeting with call for fresh Covid-19 origins investigation and criticism of Beijing’s actions in Xinjiang.
