Other G7 members led by Washington to act against their own interests: China Daily editorial

In the statement they released on Nov 4 after their meeting in Germany, the G7 foreign ministers claimed they "aimed for constructive cooperation with China, where possible".

Yet, while acknowledging that global challenges such as peace and security, global health, the climate and biodiversity crises and the conservation of natural resources can only be tackled successfully through cooperation within the rules-based international order, they made clear that the G7 countries will continue to ignore their international commitments and legal obligations with regard to Taiwan and carry on trampling over the rules-based international order as they see fit.

Once again they hyped up their unfounded allegations of human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet, and shed crocodile tears at the social turmoil they had fomented in Hong Kong, decrying the "erosion" of rights, freedoms and autonomy.

They also claimed to be "seriously concerned about the situation in and around the East and South China Seas" and stressed "the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and based on the rule of law", expressing their strong opposition "to any moves that increase tensions and undermine regional stability and the rules-based international order".

Which showed some chutzpah at least, since it is the G7 countries that have been ramping up the militarization of the waters and employing threats, coercion and intimidation to try and sow the seeds of division and change the peaceful status quo in the Asia-Pacific region.

Although issued as a "joint statement", the wording makes it very clear who is the trouble-making ringleader of this gang of seven. No prizes for guessing it is the United States — the hypocritical values-based language gives the game away.

Precipitated by their "boss" across the Atlantic to self-destruct their peaceful relations with Russia, their main natural gas supplier, one would have thought that the self-inflicted suffering would have prompted the European G7 members at least to reflect on where toeing Washington's line might lead. Yet it seems not.

Some cannot understand even the clearest lessons, the other members of the gang are still enthusiastically following the US' lead. It seems the Cold War mentality is icily entombed within their cozy coterie.

The world is transitioning from one era to another. The economic waxing of the East and the corresponding relative waning of the West mean the privileges enjoyed by the elite clique of the latter will have to be forgone. Not a pleasant thought to those used to getting what they want by means of extortion, blackmail and armed robbery.

Rather than continuing to be accomplices to the US' weak-character strong-arm antics, the other G7 members should heed the advice of a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman and stop clinging to their outdated Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs, stop repeating lies and fallacies, and stop provoking regional conflicts. Instead, they should act law-abidingly and maturely and create favorable conditions for global cooperation.