US President Joe Biden hit out at China's "economic coercion" at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

 US President Joe Biden hit out at China's "economic coercion" and said the G7 had a united position on the issue

The G7 leaders sent a clear message to Beijing that they would not tolerate its actions that undermine global security and prosperity. US President Joe Biden hit out at China's "economic coercion" and said the G7 had a united position on the issue. He said the G7 countries were not decoupling from China or turning inwards, but they needed to respond to concerns and stand up for their core values. He also said the G7 would push for a level playing field for their workers and companies and seek to address the challenges posed by China's non-market policies and practices. He said the G7 would foster resilience to economic coercion and diversify supply chains. He hinted that he could speak with China's president soon to ease tensions.

Biden's remarks came after the G7 leaders issued a joint statement that criticized China for its militarization of the South China Sea and its human rights violations in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. The statement also called for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and urged China to respect its international obligations.

The G7 summit was seen as a show of unity and strength by the Western allies against China's growing influence and assertiveness in the world.

The leaders of the world's most advanced economies reaffirmed their commitment to addressing their concerns through diplomatic channels, cooperation, and upholding international norms and values. They also agreed to take measures to de-risk their economies from China's coercion, such as diversifying trade sources, strengthening supply chains, enhancing digital infrastructure, and coordinating export controls.

China's economic coercion of other countries has taken various forms, such as restricting trade, cutting off tourism, imposing sanctions, encouraging popular boycotts, and blocking imports and exports. Some examples of China's economic coercion are:

• China blocked Lithuanian exports after the Baltic country allowed Taiwan to set up a de facto embassy there.

• China imposed tariffs and other barriers on Australian products such as wine, barley, beef, coal, and lobster after Australia called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• China banned South Korean cultural products and restricted tourism after South Korea installed a US missile defense system.

• China suspended rare earth exports to Japan amid a territorial dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands.

China reacted strongly to the G7 summit and its statements on China-related issues. China's deputy foreign minister summoned the Japanese ambassador to register an official protest over what he called the "hype around China-related issues" at the summit. He said Japan collaborated with other countries to smear and attack China, grossly interfering in China's internal affairs and violating international law. He said Japan should correct its understanding of China and promote the stable development of bilateral relations with a constructive attitude. China's embassy in Britain also urged London to stop slandering and smearing China after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said China represented the world's greatest challenge to security and prosperity.

State-backed Chinese mouthpiece Global Times called the G7 summit an "anti-China workshop" and said the US was pushing hard to weave an anti-China net in the Western world. In an editorial, it said: "This is not just a matter of brutal interference in China's internal affairs and smearing China, but also an undisguised urge for confrontation between the camps". It also accused Japan of being a "vassal" of the US and betraying its own interests by hosting the summit. It warned that China would not be intimidated by the G7's rhetoric and would take countermeasures if necessary.

China also blasted France for calling it the top challenge to global security and prosperity , and accused the G7 of interfering in its internal affairs and undermining regional stability.

 China also sought to counter the G7's influence by holding its own summit with its allies in Central Asia. The China-Central Asia Summit, held on May 18 and 19 in Xi'an, was attended by leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The summit focused on enhancing cooperation on trade, infrastructure, energy, security and culture under China's Belt and Road Initiative . China also pledged to provide more vaccines and financial assistance to its Central Asian partners amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The contrasting summits showed the deepening divide between China and the G7 countries over a range of issues, such as human rights, democracy, trade, technology and regional security. While the G7 tried to present a united front on China, it also faced challenges in balancing its economic interests with its political values. China, on the other hand, tried to showcase its leadership and solidarity with its allies in Central Asia, but also faced criticism for its debt-trap diplomacy and lack of transparency.