Relations between China and Europe will be determined by Beijing’s behavior, including what happens to Taiwan, EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said Sunday in a remote speech at the start of a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers. in Japan The comments highlighted two themes that have been in focus ahead of the three-day meeting: the need for a unified approach on China and concerns about Taiwan.

Foreign ministers from the G7 rich nations are likely to discuss their “joint and coherent” approach to China when they meet starting on Sunday, reflecting shared concerns about Beijing’s actions, a senior US State Department official said. Reuters reports.

China will be in the foreground, and ministers from the G7 group of the world’s richest countries will meet for three days in the Japanese resort of Karuizawa.

Japan, the only Asian member of the G7, is increasingly concerned about Beijing’s growing power in the region and is particularly concerned about any military action against Taiwan.

Beijing views Taiwan as Chinese territory and has not ruled out using force to take control of the democratically-ruled island.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen says that only the people of the island can decide its future.

Recent comments by French President Emmanuel Macron have highlighted potential differences between Europe and the United States over China.

In an interview after visiting China this month, Macron warned against getting drawn into the Taiwan crisis caused by “American momentum and China’s overreaction.”

That sparked a backlash, with EU foreign policy officials on Friday urging Beijing not to use force against Taiwan, taking a hard line.

“There is a collective concern about the range of actions that China is taking,” a US official told reporters on a plane to Japan from Vietnam, declining to be identified due to confidentiality concerns.

In Vietnam, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh.

Both sides have expressed a desire to deepen ties as Washington seeks to strengthen alliances to counter China.

There will likely be a discussion on how members can continue to take a “joint and coordinated approach” to China, the official said.

Recent G7 statements have included calls for sincere and constructive engagement with Beijing, while acknowledging that “all G7 members individually have deep economic ties” to the world’s second-largest economy, the official said.

Unity of G7 members

German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock tried to emphasize the unity of the G7 members.

“As democrats, we succeed in systemic competition with autocratic forces when we are trusted by our partners and friends around the world.

We must avoid our unity being misunderstood by others as disunity or opening new rifts,” she said in a statement ahead of her trip to Japan.

Taiwan will also be a topic of discussion, the senior US official said, but declined to comment on any specific possible new language.

For host country Japan, the crisis in Ukraine has raised concerns about possible Chinese military intervention in neighboring Taiwan.

“For Japan, the G7 is a platform where it can be said that security issues are not only related to the war in Ukraine. Putting China on the agenda is important not only for Japan but also for the United States,” said Yoichiro Sato, a professor of international relations at Ritsumeikan University of Asia and the Pacific.

A statement from Britain’s Foreign Office said the G7 ministers would discuss how to most strategically use international support to help Ukrainian forces continue to make progress on the battlefield and “ensure durable peace”. (News.ro)