The top diplomats of the Group of Seven (G7) have condemned China’s “illicit, provocative, coercive, and dangerous actions” in the Indo-Pacific, expressing concern over the harassment of Filipino vessels in the South China Sea (SCS).
A statement from the US Embassy in Manila on Saturday said the G7 raised concerns about the situation in the SCS, including the increasing use of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Philippine vessels.
The G7 foreign ministers, who met in Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada, from March 12-14, also criticized efforts to restrict freedom of navigation and overflight through militarization and coercion in the SCS, calling these actions a violation of international law.
The group pledged to cooperate in “increasing security and resilience across the Indo-Pacific.”
“G7 members reiterated their commiatment to upholding a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific, based on sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes, fundamental freedoms, and human rights,” the statement added.
In a declaration on maritime security, the foreign ministers supported negotiations for “provisional arrangements of a practical nature,” but did not specify areas.
“In areas pending final delimitation, we emphasize the importance of coastal states refraining from unilateral actions that alter the marine environment in ways that hinder final agreements, and the need to pursue practical provisional arrangements,” they said.
The Philippines and China previously signed a “provisional arrangement” for the country’s unhampered rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal. Manila continues to honor this agreement “without prejudice” to its position on the West Philippine Sea, the country’s maritime zone within the South China Sea.
The G7 consists of the world’s leading industrialized democracies: Canada, France, the United States, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.