Promotional effforts should be combined by G7 and G20 nations, foreign minister says
Foreign Minister Wang Yi appealed to the group of seven most industrialized nations on Thursday to work with the G20 major economies to push Asia's economic growth forward.
The appeal came as the two-day G7 summit opened in Ise-Shima, Japan.
Wang said Japan's leader should allow the G7 summit to focus on the development issues of the nations concerned rather than "doing things that are none of his business".
He was speaking at a news conference in Beijing on the 100-day countdown to the G20 summit, which will be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in September.
Wang said he hoped the G7 — a forum for deliberating on the world economy — would concentrate on economic and financial issues of global concern instead of exacerbating regional tensions related to the South China Sea issue.
He added that coordination between the G20 and G7 — whose members are included in the former — is welcomed.
Whatever issues it discusses, the G7 should take an objective position instead of having double standards. It should not differentiate its allies from others and inflame regional tensions, Wang said.
He again clarified China's position on the South China Sea issue.
Wang said that China, in line with international law, intends to negotiate with the countries concerned to solve disputes by peaceful means. Supported by an increasing number of nations, China will continue to uphold its "just stance".
The G7 leaders, saying that the slowdown in emerging markets increases the level of severity in the global economy, agreed to promote structural reforms for higher growth.
They reached consensus on treating the South China Sea issue seriously. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said G7 leaders must lead international efforts to address this issue.
The declaration to be issued by the leaders on Friday is expected to include the group's support for Abe's "three principles" of "rule of law at sea", according to Japan's Kyodo News agency.
He put these forward at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in 2014.
Abe's so-called principles are: States shall make their claims based on international law; states shall not use force or coercion in trying to drive their claims; and states shall seek to settle disputes by peaceful means.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday the compulsory dispute settlement procedures of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea do not apply to the South China Sea issue, which is in essence a territorial dispute.
China will not accept or recognize any unjust, invalid rulings on the South China Sea, Hua said.
The Philippines has unilaterally initiated an arbitration case against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague over their disputes in the South China Sea. A ruling is expected soon.
Zhou Yongsheng, a professor of international relations at China Foreign Affairs University, said Japan is attempting to reach consensus among developed nations to contain China diplomatically.
