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G7 will hurt itself being accomplice of economic coercion

Published

3 years ago

May 23, 2023

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily
To pressure China is reportedly to be one of the core topics of the Group of Seven (G7) summit to be held in Japan’s Hiroshima. The summit is likely to attack and smear China in the name of “obeying the rules” and “taking responsible actions.”
Blinded and instigated by the United States and a few other G7 members, the organization has again and again grossly interfered in China’s domestic affairs and arrogantly pointed fingers at China, which reflects deep-rooted Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices.
It’s an open strategy of the United States to contain and oppress China, which it takes as an “imaginary enemy,” and rope in its allies to encircle China.
In June last year, despite China’s stern position and firm opposition, the G7 mentioned China 14 times in a leaders’ communique, making irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong, Xinjiang, human rights, the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, grossly interfering in China’s domestic affairs and peddling its false narrative of “democracy versus authoritarianism,” to incite confrontational sentiments.
As the G7 presidency, Japan uses the misguided China policy of the United States to speculate and seek private interests, which has provided convenience for the U.S. in jamming the topics of containing China into the agenda of the G7.
A recent G7 foreign ministers’ meeting hyped China-related issues, grossly interfering in China’s domestic affairs and maliciously slandering and smearing China. A G7 trade ministers’ meeting also sent a signal of countering China.
With a decreasing influence, the G7 has been reduced to a servant of the U.S. hegemony, which could only prove its presence by hyping China topics.
Claiming to safeguard the so-called “rules-based international order,” the G7 is blatantly challenging the core of the postwar order.
It’s known around the world that Taiwan’s return to China is an important component of the post-war international order, which is written in the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation. Any country that’s sincerely committed to safeguarding the international order should follow the one-China principle and oppose all acts supporting and emboldening “Taiwan independence.”
With a total disregard for the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, the G7 said China’s opposition to “Taiwan independence” is “changing the status quo of the Taiwan Strait.” This obviously condones “Taiwan independence” and challenges the post-war international order recognized by the international community. It fully proves that the G7’s efforts to safeguard the so-called international order are hypocritical and the G7 itself is a saboteur of the international order.
Claiming to jointly cope with “economic coercion,” the G7 is turning a blind eye to the economic coercion of the United States around the world.
For a long time, the United States, relying on its economic strength and financial hegemony, has abused illegal unilateral sanctions. According to media reports, U.S. government sanctions designations soared by 933 percent between 2000 and 2021. More than 9,400 sanctions designations had come into effect in the United States by fiscal year 2021. The United States has slapped unilateral economic sanctions on nearly 40 countries, affecting nearly half of the world’s population.
Not even G7 members have been spared from U.S. economic coercion and bullying. Companies such as Toshiba from Japan, Siemens from Germany and Alstom from France, were all victims of U.S. suppression.
China is a victim of U.S. economic coercion. It has been firmly opposed to economic coercion by any country in the world. If the G7 summit is to discuss response to economic coercion, perhaps it should first discuss and condemn what the U.S. has done, rather than being an accomplice.
Claiming to discuss the so-called “economic security,” the G7 tolerates and even assists the “decoupling and severing ties” of the United States, which creates risks for global economic recovery.
During a G7 finance ministers’ meeting, the United States said it was considering further restriction on American enterprises’ investment in China and would discuss the issue with its allies and partners. This just revealed the country’s intention to upgrade its economic hegemony.
Over the recent years, the United States has overstretched the concept of national security and abused export control measures, restricted American enterprises’ normal economic and trade cooperation with China, impeded the decision making of enterprises, and instigated and even forced its allies to follow its practices, which has damaged the international economic and trade order and disturbed the stability of global industrial and supply chains.
If the G7 green-lights the economic bullying practices of the United States to hinder the economic development of other countries, it will not only become a destructive player in global development, but also hurt its own economic recovery.
A big country should act like a big country. As a club of rich countries, the G7 is being cruel and has triggered dissatisfaction around the world. Every summit it has hosted faced strong opposition. Last year, a poster showed a distorted Earth fitted in a letter G, which suggested that the world is becoming distorted under the interference of the G7. This exactly mirrored the destructive role played by the group.
The G7 should understand that being a servant of U.S. hegemony, establishing exclusive cliques, containing other countries and provoking bloc confrontation are against the trend of the times. Those who play fire will only get themselves burned.

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2026 Constitution Amendment Bill Moves to States

Published

1 hour ago

September 17, 2026

Our Reporter

By Fabian Apechihin

The 2026 Constitution Amendment Bill has moved to the state level following its consideration by the National Assembly, paving the way for state legislatures to consider the proposed amendments.

The development comes amid renewed attention on constitutional reform and ongoing discussions over proposed changes to Nigeria’s governing framework.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over allegations surrounding borrowing by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

House spokesperson Akin Rotimi Agbese, speaking in an interview with Channels Television, rejected claims that Wike had undertaken borrowing without the knowledge or approval of the National Assembly.

Agbese said the FCT minister could not independently create a sovereign borrowing obligation, stressing that public borrowing is subject to constitutional, statutory and administrative procedures.

“Wike has committed no infraction in borrowings. There is no basis for the allegation that he has been borrowing money behind the back of the National Assembly,” Agbese said.

He explained that borrowing to finance infrastructure was not unlawful where the required approvals and procedures had been followed.

“Borrowing for infrastructure development is not unlawful in itself, provided the prescribed approvals and procedures are followed,” he added.

The House spokesperson further argued that an increase in the FCT’s debt profile should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of illegal borrowing, citing the scale of infrastructure projects being undertaken in Abuja under Wike.

According to Agbese, the key issue is whether the appropriate approvals were obtained for specific borrowing transactions, rather than simply whether the FCT’s overall debt profile has increased.

The comments come as scrutiny continues over public borrowing, infrastructure financing and the legal procedures governing government debt at both the federal and sub-national levels.

Uncategorized

2026 Constitution Amendment Bill Moves to States

Published

1 hour ago

September 17, 2026

Our Reporter