Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) representing the world’s richest democracies met in Hiroshima, Japan for their annual Summit on May 19-21, 2023. The leaders issued a landmark joint Communiqué on May 20, 2023, in which the leaders articulated a strong and detailed position on China and issued a strong statement on China including concerns on human rights in Tibet, East Turkistan, and Hong Kong. The statement on China covered several issues including:
“We will keep voicing our concerns about the human rights situation in China, including in Tibet and Xinjiang where forced labor is of major concern to us. We call on China to honor its commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, which enshrine rights, freedoms, and a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong.”
“We call on China to act in accordance with its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and not to conduct interference activities aimed at undermining the security and safety of our communities, the integrity of our democratic institutions and our economic prosperity.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to the media a day after the communiqué and said China posed “the greatest challenge of our age” in regards to global security and prosperity, and that it was “increasingly authoritarian at home and abroad”.
China expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with the G7’s joint statement, and reportedly complained to the summit organizer Japan.
