China criticises G7 over ‘cold war mentality’ and ‘interference’ in internal affairs

Beijing rebukes G7 criticism

China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday strongly rejected a joint statement issued by the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers criticising Beijing’s military buildup, accusing the bloc of “grossly interfering” in China’s internal affairs and “confusing right and wrong.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing, said the G7’s communiqué “once again disregards facts, confuses right and wrong, deliberately smears and slanders China, and grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes this.”

The G7 statement, released after a two-day meeting in Niagara, Canada, had voiced concern over China’s expanding nuclear arsenal and increasing military activity, urging greater transparency from Beijing. The summit, held on 11–12 November, included representatives from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, as well as invited partners such as India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, South Africa, Mexico, and Ukraine.

Lin accused the G7 of hypocrisy and double standards, saying, “The G7 turns a blind eye to the United States’ special priority for nuclear disarmament, and to the nuclear proliferation risks created by the AUKUS trilateral security partnership, yet points fingers at China instead. This is a typical case of confusing right and wrong.”

He further criticised the group for using economic issues as a political weapon, saying such actions threaten global stability. “The G7 should stop politicising and weaponising economic and trade issues, so as to avoid disrupting the international economic order and global industrial and supply chains,” Lin said.

He added that China “once again urges the G7 to recognise the prevailing global trend, abandon Cold War mentality and ideological bias, stop manipulating so-called 'grandstanding' agendas to interfere in China’s internal affairs, and do more that contributes to unity and cooperation within the international community.”

Beijing’s sharp response underscores escalating tensions between China and the Western bloc over issues including defence, trade, and regional security. While the G7’s communiqué warned against China’s “coercive policies,” Beijing maintains that its military modernisation is purely defensive and that Western nations should “reflect on their own responsibilities” in fuelling global instability.

(With Reuters inputs)