G7 reaffirms importance of peace across Taiwan Strait

Washington, Dec. 6 (CNA) The G7 leading industrial nations issued a statement Wednesday reaffirming the "importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait" to "security and prosperity in the international community."

The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States and the European Union issued the joint statement following a virtual meeting, which was also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The statement added that the G7 opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the region by force or coercion.

In addition, the G7 voiced concerns over China's human rights record, "including in Tibet and Xinjiang where forced labor is of major concern to us."

The statement said that while the G7 was ready to build stable relations with Beijing, it opposed militarization activities in the South China Sea.

The statement said there was "no legal basis for China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea."

The statement added that a July 12, 2016 ruling rendered by a tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was a "significant milestone" and "legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings."

Taiwan has rejected the 2016 ruling, which downgraded the legal status of Taiping Island, maintaining that it is "not legally binding on the Republic of China."