Group of Seven defense chiefs have used their first-ever meeting to target China over its “provocative actions” near Taiwan, following large-scale military exercises around the democratic island in mid October.
Meeting in Naples, Italy, on Oct. 19, the defense chiefs agreed in a joint declaration to address a number of security challenges – from Chinese aggression to the war in Ukraine – “in a concrete manner … at a time in history marked by great instability.”
The defense chiefs singled out China over a number of concerns, though their decision to emphasize Taiwan, in particular, is unlikely to go over well in Beijing. The democratic island is the single most sensitive issue when it comes to relations with Beijing, which views Taiwan as a renegade province that must be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary.
“We are concerned about provocative actions, particularly the recent People’s Liberation Army military drills around Taiwan,” the defense chiefs said in their declaration, noting “no change” in the basic positions of G7 members on Taiwan. “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is indispensable to international security and prosperity.” (The Japan Times)
毎週届く！
