China says G7 statement 'full of arrogance, prejudice and lies'

AFP , Monday 17 Jun 2024

China hit back on Monday after G7 leaders warned Beijing to stop sending weapons components to Russia, saying their end-of-summit statement was "full of arrogance, prejudice and lies".

G7
(First row Left side) Argentine s President Javier Milei (L), US President Joe Biden (3rd-L), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (5th-L) and Pope Francis (6th-L) and (First row Right side - From L) Italy s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Jordan s King Abdullah, France s President Emmanuel Macron, Algeria s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterr (Second row), President of the European Council Charles Michel (3rd-L), British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (4th-L), Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (5th-L), India s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (6th-L), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (7th-L) and Canada s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (8th-L) pose for a family photo with G7 heads of States and heads of delegation of Outreach countries at Borgo Egnazia resort during the G7 Summit hosted by Italy. AFP

 

When Group of Seven leaders met last week in Italy, souring trade relations with Beijing as well as tensions over Ukraine and the South China Sea were a focus of their discussions.

The statement released at the end of the summit said China was sending dual-use materials to Russia which were helping Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Using stronger language than at last year's summit, the G7 statement also criticised China's "militarisation, and coercive and intimidation activities" in the South China Sea.

On Monday China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the statement had "slandered and attacked China".

It had "rehashed cliches that have no factual basis, no legal basis, and no moral justification, and are full of arrogance, prejudice and lies," he said at a regular press briefing.

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