China's U.K. embassy scoffs at G7 as Biden urges allies to take stand against Beijing

President Biden wants his Group of Seven allies to take a strong stand against China's forced labor practices this weekend as the leaders of some of the world's richest nations continue their summit in the United Kingdom. But China appears prepared to dismiss whatever comes out of the meeting.

Per The Guardian, the Chinese embassy in the U.K. released a statement Saturday directed at the G7 that said "the days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone." Now, the statement continues, "there is only one system in the world, that is, the international system with the United Nations at the core and the international order based on international law." In other words, Beijing is telling the G7 that it's old news.

As for the G7 leaders, they all agree on "principles and values," a U.S. official told Bloomberg, so they're mostly on the same page when it comes to China, further evidenced by an agreement Saturday to back an infrastructure plan that would serve as an alternative to Beijing's belt and road initiative. But at the same time, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, specifically, have reportedly suggested they're worried about Biden's camp taking things to the point that they could lose any chance of cooperation from China. Read more at Bloomberg, The Washington Post, and The Guardian.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up