At the G7 summit held in Hiroshima, Japan, the leaders of the Quad countries, an informal alliance consisting of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, criticized China without explicitly mentioning it.
Although China was not directly named, the statement issued by US President Joe Biden and the other three Quad leaders made it clear that they were referring to the Asian giant. The statement called for “peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime area.”
The statement strongly opposed destabilization and unilateral actions aimed at changing the status quo through force or coercion. This implicitly referred to China’s actions in the region, which are considered a source of instability by Western countries.
Furthermore, deep concern was expressed about the militarization of disputed areas, the dangerous use of military vessels or coast guards, and efforts to undermine the exploitation of resources in foreign waters. This directly referred to China’s construction of bases on disputed reefs and the harassment of ships in waters claimed by Beijing, particularly in the South China Sea.
The Quad leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 summit, which includes the United States, Germany, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy.