G7 Foreign Ministers say China's actions east of Taiwan threaten stability

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Britain's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, France's Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and EU High Representative and Vice-President for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas. | Photo Credit: Reuters China's increasingly assertive actions in the waters east of Taiwan threaten regional stability and ​freedom of navigation, G7 Foreign Ministers said in a joint ‌declaration published late on Wednesday (November 11, 2026) following a meeting ​in Paris.China, which views Taiwan as ⁠its own territory, has stepped up activity off the island's east coast since June with regular coast guard patrols. Officials ‌in Taiwan, which rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, say they believe China is practising for a ‌potential maritime blockade using overlapping military, paramilitary and ‌civilian ⁠assets.The G7 statement said the Ministers ⁠stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.China's increasingly assertive activities in the waters east of Taiwan "threaten regional ​stability, freedom of ‌navigation and the safety of international shipping", the statement said."We reaffirmed our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, particularly by force ‌or coercion, or the threat thereof."China's Foreign Ministry ​did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China recognises no claims of ⁠sovereignty by Taiwan.Following the Chinese Coast Guard's latest patrol off the east coast last month, Taiwan said China ‌was harassing shipping and trying to exert a fictional jurisdiction.Taipei regards the area off its east coast as critical to wartime supply routes from allies in the event of a blockade or conflict.The United States, Britain, France and Germany have all previously expressed ‌their concern about China's actions off Taiwan's east coast.China's military ​also operates around Taiwan on a daily basis.China is carrying out "area denial" drills in the ⁠Western Pacific involving one of its aircraft carriers and ⁠other naval formations, Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on Tuesday (November 10), following a reported rise in ‌Chinese activities.China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, though ​it says it would prefer "peaceful reunification". Published - November 12, 2026 08:43 am IST