The Chinese regime used to keep a low profile around its military, and thus largely avoided international scrutiny, with its former policy for a “peaceful rise.” It scrapped that policy in recent years, however, and is now facing the political fallout from its growing aggression.
World leaders at the G-7 summit in Germany did not name China directly, yet criticized its land-grab in the South China Sea where it has been building new islands.
“We strongly oppose the use of intimidation, coercion or force, as well as any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo, such as large-scale land reclamation,” the G-7 leaders said, according to South China Morning Post.
“We underline the importance of peaceful dispute settlement as well as free and unimpeded lawful use of the world’s oceans,” they said.
