CHINA has labelled comments by top diplomats of the Group of 7 industrialised nations as being “filled with arrogance, prejudice and malicious intentions.”

The comments by the Chinese on Saturday were in response to a G7 statement a day earlier that accused China of “illicit, provocative, coercive and dangerous actions that seek unilaterally to alter the status quo in such a way as to risk undermining the stability of regions, including through land reclamations, and building of outposts, as well as their use for military purposes.”

In the response, issued through its embassy in Canada, where the two-day G7 meeting was held in La Malbaie, Quebec, China said that the statement “repeated the same old rhetoric, ignored facts and China’s solemn position, grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs and blatantly smeared China.”

“The statements are filled with arrogance, prejudice and malicious intentions to suppress and attack China. China strongly deplores and opposes this and has lodged solemn representations with the Canadian side,” the statement said.

The G7 statement also dropped past reassurances, recently stated in November, that there is “no change in the basic position of the G7 members on Taiwan, including stated one-China policies,” as well as that the G7 is “not decoupling or turning inwards” and recognising the importance of China in global trade.

The one China policy, which recognises Beijing as the official government of China and ensures that ties with Taipei remain unofficial, has been the bedrock of Western dealings with China and Taiwan for decades. 

The statement said the ministers “encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues and reiterated their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.”

The Chinese response said they “resolutely oppose the G7’s misdeeds of harming China’s sovereignty,” saying that “the key to upholding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait lies in abiding by the one-China principle.”