China biggest threat to global security and prosperity, says Rishi Sunak
Britain and other G7 countries would pursue a common approach that focusses on ‘de-risking — not decoupling’
21 May 2023 - 11:12
byKatya Golubkova
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during a press conference following the G7 summit on May 21 2023 in Hiroshima. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/WPA Pool/Getty Images
Hiroshima — China represents the world's greatest challenge to security and prosperity, but other leading economies should not seek to fully decouple from it, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday after a summit of the Group of Seven (G7) nations.
“China poses the biggest challenge of our age to global security and prosperity. They are increasingly authoritarian at home and assertive abroad,” Sunak told reporters after the G7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
Sunak said Britain and other G7 countries would pursue a common approach to reduce the challenges posed by China.
“This is all about de-risking — not decoupling,” he said. “With the G7, we are taking steps to prevent China from using economic coercion to interfere in the sovereign affairs of others,” he added.
Last week Sunak's predecessor as prime minister, Liz Truss, became the best-known British politician to visit Taiwan since Margaret Thatcher in the 1990s, where she said the West should not “appease and accommodate” China.
Tensions have risen as China has become increasingly assertive about the self-governed island, which Beijing claims as its own. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.
Truss represents a more hawkish wing of Sunak's Conservative Party that opposes his approach to China, which involves seeking to engage in areas such as trade and climate change while trying to limit national security threats.
Sunak also said Britain would start training Ukrainian pilots this summer to support its air force in its war with Russia.
Joined by Volodymyr Zelensky, Sunak said no-one wants peace more than the Ukrainian president but that peace conditions should be based on Ukraine's principles.
At the three-day summit the G7 signalled to Russia their readiness to stand by Ukraine for the long term.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
China biggest threat to global security and prosperity, says Rishi Sunak
Britain and other G7 countries would pursue a common approach that focusses on ‘de-risking — not decoupling’
Hiroshima — China represents the world's greatest challenge to security and prosperity, but other leading economies should not seek to fully decouple from it, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday after a summit of the Group of Seven (G7) nations.
“China poses the biggest challenge of our age to global security and prosperity. They are increasingly authoritarian at home and assertive abroad,” Sunak told reporters after the G7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
Sunak said Britain and other G7 countries would pursue a common approach to reduce the challenges posed by China.
“This is all about de-risking — not decoupling,” he said. “With the G7, we are taking steps to prevent China from using economic coercion to interfere in the sovereign affairs of others,” he added.
Last week Sunak's predecessor as prime minister, Liz Truss, became the best-known British politician to visit Taiwan since Margaret Thatcher in the 1990s, where she said the West should not “appease and accommodate” China.
Tensions have risen as China has become increasingly assertive about the self-governed island, which Beijing claims as its own. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.
Truss represents a more hawkish wing of Sunak's Conservative Party that opposes his approach to China, which involves seeking to engage in areas such as trade and climate change while trying to limit national security threats.
Sunak also said Britain would start training Ukrainian pilots this summer to support its air force in its war with Russia.
Joined by Volodymyr Zelensky, Sunak said no-one wants peace more than the Ukrainian president but that peace conditions should be based on Ukraine's principles.
At the three-day summit the G7 signalled to Russia their readiness to stand by Ukraine for the long term.
Reuters
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
WATCH: State of global economy, rising prices in focus at G7 Summit
G7 aims to tighten screws on Russia
HILARY JOFFE: SA was never invited to Hiroshima summit
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.