LONDON, April 6. /TASS/ China military exercises near Taiwan are causing concern among the Group of Seven (G7) member countries, they said in a joint statement.
"We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, express deep concern about China’s provocative actions, particularly the recent large-scale military drills around Taiwan," the statement posted on Britain’s Foreign office’s website, said.
"These increasingly frequent and destabilizing activities are raising cross-Strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity.
G7 members and the larger international community have an interest in the preservation of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any unilateral actions to threaten such peace and stability, including by force or coercion.
G7 members continue to encourage the peaceful resolution of issues through constructive cross-Strait dialogue."
On April 1 and 2, China conducted large-scale military exercises near Taiwan firing long-range cannons, striking simulated targets such as seaports and energy infrastructure. To the east of the island, China used aircraft carrier Shandong.
Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after a defeat in the civil war. Since then, Taipei has retained the flag and some other attributes of the former Republic of China, which existed on the mainland before the Communists came to power. According to Beijing's position, supported by most countries, including Russia, this is one of the regions of China. Recently, relations between the central government of China and the administration in Taipei have become particularly tense.