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April 18 (UPI) -- The G7 foreign ministers said on Tuesday their countries continue to support Ukraine in defending itself against Russia and expressed concerns about China on a number of issues from access to the South China Sea to transparency. The comments came in a joint communique issued by the foreign ministers after a meeting in Karuizawa, Japan.
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"We once again condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a serious violation of international law, including the U.N. Charter," the foreign ministers said in the statement.
"Russia must withdraw all forces and equipment from Ukraine immediately and unconditionally. We recommit today to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes and to providing sustained security, economic, and institutional support to help Ukraine defend itself, secure its free and democratic future, and deter future Russian aggression."
For more than a year, the G7 has pledged its support for Ukraine after the Russian invasion in February 2022. The group accused Russia of saber-rattling with its talk of nuclear weapons.
"Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and its threat to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus are unacceptable," they said. "Any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with severe consequences. We recall the importance of the 77-year record of use of nuclear weapons since 1945."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that Russia would move tactical nuclear weapons into Belarus in a move he described as "nothing unusual" and in line with international treaties but was condemned by NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu as "dangerous and irresponsible."
The foreign ministers also called China to be a"responsible member" of the international community, adding they recognize they must work with the communist country on numerous global issues from climate change, biodiversity, health security, and gender equality.
"We stand prepared to work together to build constructive and stable relations through dialogue and to promote global economic recovery and people-to-people exchanges in a mutually beneficial way," they said.
"It is in the interest of all countries, including China, to ensure transparent, predictable, and fair business environments. Legitimate business activities and interests of foreign companies must be protected from unfair, anti-competitive, and non-market practices, including through illegitimate technology transfer or data disclosure in exchange for market access."
The G7 China has "no legal basis" for its expansion in the South China Sea which threatens free maritime travel in the Indo-Pacific.
"We emphasize the universal and unified character of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and reaffirm UNCLOS' important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas."
An editorial in the Chinese Communist Party-controlled Global Times, called the G7 statements a promotion of a "new Cold War," chiding the United States over leaked documents suggesting it was monitoring the communication of its allies.
"These fissures are prominent and weaken the G7'sunified voice on some issues, making the solidarity displayed by the G7 foreign ministers seem deliberate and unnatural," the editorial said.
