China targets G7 for slamming Beijing over numerous issues like Xinjiang, Hong Kong

"The G7 foreign ministers' meeting launched groundless accusations against China, blatantly interfered in China's internal affairs and engaged in anachronistic bloc politics. This is gross interference in China's sovereignty, flagrant trampling on norms of international relations and violation of the trend for peace, development and win-win cooperation of our times. China strongly condemns it," China's Ministry of Foreign AffairsSpokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

He said issues concerning Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong are all China's domestic affairs.

"China's sovereignty, rights and interests over the Diaoyu Dao, its affiliated islands, islands in the South China Sea and their adjacent waters are rooted in ample factual and legal basis. The participation of China's Taiwan region in activities of international organizations, including the WHO, which consists of sovereign nations, must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle. This is an important principle established by UNGA Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1," he said.

He said: "The G7, as a grouping of developed nations, should take more concrete actions to boost world economic recovery and help accelerate developing countries' growth, rather than stoking confrontation and difference and disrupting global economic recovery."

"The G7 claims to be a grouping of democracies, but as a latest poll suggests respondents in 53 countries and regions see the US as the top threat to global democracy, we haven't seen any comment or action from the G7," he said.

He said: "We urge relevant countries to take a hard look at their own problems, redress their self-serving approach in fighting COVID-19 and stop the wrong practice of stretching national security concept. Attempts to concoct all sorts of excuses to meddle in China's internal affairs, harm Chinese sovereignty and tarnish China's image in disregard of basic norms of international relations are doomed to fail."

The foreign ministers of Group of Seven (G7) countries have targeted China on issues like Hong Kong, human rights violations in Xinjiang, and military build-up in the South China Sea.

"In line with its obligations under international and national law, we call on China to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. We continue to be deeply concerned about human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang and in Tibet, especially the targeting of Uyghurs, members of other ethnic and religious minority groups, and the existence of a large-scale network of 'political re-education' camps, and reports of forced labour systems and forced sterilisation," read the statement.

"We agree with the importance of tackling instances of forced labour through our own available domestic means, including through raising awareness and providing advice and support for our business communities. We strongly support independent and unfettered access to Xinjiang to investigate the situation on the ground. We continue to call therefore for such access for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights," it said.

Speaking on the Hong Kong issue, the Ministers said, "We recall our statement of 12 March and remain gravely concerned by China’s decision fundamentally to erode democratic elements of the electoral system in Hong Kong."

"We call on China to act in accordance with its international commitments and its legal obligations, including those enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, and to respect Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms.

"We call on China and the Hong Kong authorities to end the targeting of those who defend rights and freedoms and democratic values, to uphold the independence of the judicial system and to ensure cases are not transferred to the mainland," it said.

The group also asked China to uphold its commitments to act responsibly in cyberspace.