A handout photo made available by the G7 Hiroshima Summit Host shows (L-R front, clockwise) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US President Joe Biden, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Council President Charles Michel posing for a group photo at a working dinner during the G7 Hiroshima Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, 19 May 2023. EFE/EPA/G7 HIROSHIMA SUMMIT HOST HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

G7 says China’s growing arsenal is a ‘concern’, slams ‘irresponsible’ Russian rhetoric

Hiroshima, Japan, May 19 (EFE).- G7 leaders on Friday expressed their “concern” at China’s nuclear “buildup” while also condemning Russia’s “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric.”

In a joint statement issued at the close of the first day of a summit being held in the western Japanese city of Hiroshima, the leaders of the Group of Seven nations said Beijing’s “accelerating build-up of its nuclear arsenal without transparency nor meaningful dialogue poses a concern to global and regional stability.”

The G7 leaders urged China and Russia to engage substantively in relevant multilateral and bilateral forums in line with their obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which “must be upheld as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and the foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.”

A handout photo made available by the G7 Hiroshima Summit Host shows (L-R) European Council President Charles Michel, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posing for a group photo at the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima island during the G7 Hiroshima Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, 19 May 2023. EFE/EPA/G7 Hiroshima Summit Host / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

The statement also condemned Moscow’s “irresponsible” rhetoric in the context of its war in Ukraine, its “undermining of arms control regimes, and stated intent to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus,” calling Russia’s stance “dangerous and unacceptable.”

“We reiterate our position that threats by Russia of nuclear weapon use, let alone any use of nuclear weapons by Russia, in the context of its aggression against Ukraine are inadmissible,” the statement said.

The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to “achieving a world free of nuclear weapons”, noting that the NPT “is the only way” to achieve that goal.

They also welcomed the actions of several G7 members, such as the United States, France and the United Kingdom, in providing data on their nuclear weapons capabilities.

A man walk past photos showing before (top) and after (centre) scenes of the Hiroshima nuclear bombing in 1938 and 1945 respectively and Hiroshima in the present day (bottom) at an exhibition in the International Media centre of the G7 Hiroshima Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, 19 May 2023. EFE/EPA/HOW HWEE YOUNG

“We reaffirm our commitment to the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all, achieved through a realistic, pragmatic and responsible approach,” the statement said.

The communique refers to a number of actors who are allegedly undermining global security, namely Russia for its threats against Ukraine, North Korea for its continued missile launches, and China over its alleged lack of nuclear transparency.

The G7 consists of several nuclear powers, such as the US, the UK and France. France also has weapons deployed in two other countries – Germany and Italy – while Japan and Canada are part of Washington’s nuclear protection “umbrella”.

Hiroshima, the first ever city to be bombed with a nuclear weapon on August 6, 1945, is hosting the 49th G7 summit, where leaders are hoping to send a strong message pacifist and anti-nuclear message in the context of the war in Ukraine. EFE

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