China tells G7 to stop ‘manipulating’ China issues for its own agenda

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BEIJING (Reuters) -China warned the Group of Seven advanced economies on Friday against “manipulating” issues related to the world’s second-largest economy for their own agenda, after they accused Beijing of unfair business practices a year earlier.

Beijing’s criticism of the G7 and what it represents comes amid a surge in global trade tension between the United States and China this year, as well as within the bloc’s membership.

In remarks ahead of a three-day G7 summit in Canada set to start from Sunday, Lin Jian, a spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, accused the group of having always upheld a Cold War mentality.

The bloc should “stop interfering in other countries’ internal affairs, stop undermining other countries’ development, (and) stop manipulating issues related to China,” Lin told a regular news conference.

The G7 provokes conflicts and confrontations, said Lin, adding that such practices were “doomed to fail”.

In the communique after its 2024 summit in Italy that mentioned China more than 20 times, the G7 said its companies needed to be protected from China’s unfair business practices.

It also warned of action against Chinese financial institutions that helped Russia obtain weapons for its war in Ukraine.

The participation of countries beyond the grouping, such as India and Brazil, in last year’s event also irked China, which viewed the move as a bid to sow discord among countries of the Global South.

New leaders will represent five of the G7’s members – Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan and the United States – at next week’s summit.

(Reporting by Colleen Howe; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Christopher Cushing)