G7 warns China against escalatory response to Pelosi’s visit

It comes in the wake of House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which has sparked off a strong diplomatic and military response from China.

WASHINGTON: Ramping up the diplomatic offensive against China, while providing it a signal of reassurance, G7 countries and the European Union (EU) have said that there is “no justification” to use Nancy Pelosi’s visit as a “pretext for aggressive military activity” in the Taiwan Strait, called Beijing’s actions destabilising, and reiterated that there had been no change in the “one-China policy” or “basic positions” on Taiwan of the G7 members.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (left) speaks with Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu as she prepares to leave in Taipei. (AP)

In a foreign minister-level statement titled preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, released on Wednesday, the seven countries and EU reaffirmed their commitment to “maintaining the rules-based international order, peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and beyond”.

The G7 countries include the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, France and Japan. The statement was also signed by the high representative of EU. It comes in the wake of House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which has sparked off a strong diplomatic and military response from China.

With Pelosi’s visit and Beijing’s actions causing uncertainty in the Indo-Pacific theatre, even as a war in Ukraine rages in the European theatre, G7 countries said they were “concerned” by recent and announced “threatening actions” by China, “particularly live-fire exercises and economic coercion, which risk unnecessary escalation”.

“There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally. The PRC’s escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilising the region.”

China has placed the blame for the escalation on Pelosi’s visit, even though both Pelosi and President Joe Biden have reiterated that the US continues to stand by the “one-China policy” and there is no departure in the US stance on Taiwan.

G7 countries also called on China “not to unilaterally change the status quo by force” in the region, and resolve cross-Strait differences by “peaceful means”. They reiterated that there had been no change in the respective “one China policy” of the G7 countries.

“We reiterate our shared and steadfast commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encourage all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, act with transparency, and maintain open lines of communication to prevent misunderstanding.”