Territorial disputes shouldn't be on agenda at G7 summit:China

BEIJING: China, embroiled in a maritime row with its neighbours over the South China Sea, today asked G7 countries not to put territorial disputes in their agenda at the G20 summit to be hosted by it later this year, warning that it may be harmful to regional stability.

"If some countries deliberately put historical issues or even disputes over territorial sovereignty into the G7 summit, it will not only be helpless for resolving the issues, but also be harmful to regional stability, which is obviously unacceptable," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said today.

"We hope the G7 summit will focus on the topics of economy and development, which are the biggest concern all around the world, just as G20 does," he said at a joint press briefing following talks with visiting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

His remarks assume significance as China's claims over almost all of the South China Sea are countered by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

They accuse China of illegally reclaiming land in contested areas to create artificial islands with facilities that could potentially be for military use.

The South China Sea is rich in natural resources. It is also a major shipping lane. Over half of the world's commercial shipping passes through the Indo-Pacific waterways.

Answering questions about the relations between G7 and G20, Wang said the G20 comprises major developed and developing countries, which account for more than 80 per cent of global economic output and international trade.

"This indicates that G20 is more representative for the common aspiration and consensus of the international community," he said, adding that it has become the most important platform for global economic governance and cooperation.

As the host of this year's G20 summit, China will cooperate with other G20 members, including Germany, to find solutions to major problems of the world economy, said Wang.

This year's G20 Leaders Summit will be held in September in Hangzhou, a popular tourist city and capital of China's eastern Zhejiang Province.

Invited by Wang, Steinmeier is paying a three-day visit to China from today. The two ministers co-chaired the second session of Chinese-German strategic dialog on diplomatic and security affairs today.