Beijing Tells G7 Nations to Stay Out of Disputes

Beijing vowed to answer provocations against its territorial sovereignty after the G7 leaders stated concerns over the maritime tensions between China and its Asian-Pacific neighbors. China has long insisted that territorial disputes must be settled by negotiations between China and the states directly affected. G7 leaders, including US and Japan, have suggested that countries involved in disputes over the East China Sea and South China Sea should elucidate their claims according to international law. China and Japan are quarreling over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, and “China also claims large parts of the South China Sea, against opposing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan,” reports the South China Morning Post. The G7 represents wealthy economies but excludes China, the world’s largest second largest, and the article concludes that the G20, which includes many more growing markets, has more influence than the G7. – YaleGlobal