LONDON 鈥� Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven wealthy industrialized nations on Wednesday accused China of human rights abuses and economic mischief, but offered little concrete action to deal with an increasingly forceful Beijing.
The top G-7 diplomats meeting in London said they were 鈥渄eeply concerned鈥� by China's treatment of the Uyghur Muslim population and other minorities, which includes mass internment in 鈥渞e-education鈥� camps, forced
But the U.K., the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan committed only to tackling forced
While the Biden administration in the U.S. is keen for a strong stand against China鈥檚 rising economic and political assertiveness, some European G-7 members are more cautious, and the G-7 joint statement stressed the need for a working relationship with Beijing.
The G-7 ministers criticized China for 鈥渁rbitrary, coercive economic policies and practices鈥� and urged it to stick to international trade rules and 鈥渞espect human rights and fundamental freedoms.鈥�
At their first face-to-face meeting for two years, the top diplomats sought unity to deal with increasing challenges from China and Russia,
The G-7 ministers called for 鈥渃o-ordinated action and global solidarity鈥� to help the world recover from the pandemic, and backed 鈥渁ffordable and equitable global access鈥� to coronavirus vaccines and treatments. But wealthy countries have been reluctant so far to give up precious vaccine stocks until they have inoculated their own populations.
The group also condemned Russia鈥檚 military build-up on Ukraine鈥檚 eastern border and in Crimea and its 鈥渕align activities aimed at undermining other countries鈥� democratic systems.鈥�
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was flying to Kviv after the G-7 meeting to demonstrate strong U.S. backing for the country鈥檚 response to Russian aggression.
The U.K. pushed to hold the meeting in person to give the rich countries鈥� club a jolt of energy after a period marked by the health crisis of the pandemic and rising nationalism around the world. Prime Minister Boris Johnson鈥檚 government is also seeking to project a dynamic 鈥淕lobal Britain鈥� image in the wake of the country鈥檚 departure from the European Union.
Delegates at Lancaster House, a grand London mansion, observed social distancing, sat behind transparent screens in meetings and were tested daily for the virus. Even so, India鈥檚 foreign minister was forced to go into self-isolation after members of his country鈥檚 delegation tested positive for COVID-19.
Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar tweeted that he was attending 鈥渋n the virtual mode鈥� as a 鈥漨easure of abundant caution" after being told he might have been exposed to the virus.
Organizers insisted there was little risk to the rest of the delegates.
India is not a G-7 member but was invited along with fellow democracies South Korea, Australia and South Africa as a guest.
India is experiencing a vast outbreak of COVID-19, with 382,315 new confirmed cases and 3,780 reported deaths in the last 24 hours, in what is widely believed to be an undercount.
The guest nations鈥� delegations didn鈥檛 attend the conference on Tuesday, though Jaishankar has held meetings in London with officials including British Home Secretary Priti Patel and the American secretary of state.
U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said that 鈥渨e have no reason to believe any of our delegation is at risk.鈥�
The U.K. is due to host the group鈥檚 leaders at a summit in Cornwall, southwest England, in June.
Johnson, who attended the gathering briefly on Wednesday defended the decision to hold the foreign ministers鈥� meeting in person despite the virus.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 very important to try to continue as much business as you can as a government,鈥� the prime minister said.
Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
