Japan Defends G-7 Statement After Chinese Regime Protests

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands prior to a bilateral meeting ahead of the Group of Seven leaders summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 18, 2023. Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images

China summoned Japan’s ambassador on May 21 to lodge a protest over what it viewed as a “smear” and “attack” against it during the Group of Seven (G-7) leaders’ summit, but the envoy defended the G-7 actions.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong said that Japan collaborated with other G-7 nations to “hype up China-related issues” in their joint communiqué and “grossly interfere” with China’s internal affairs.