Foreign Ministers from the Group of Seven nations (G7) on Saturday started a two-day meeting in the UK as the world's leading democracies are increasingly being confronted by authoritarian governments like China.
The top diplomats from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US along with the European Union are likely to discuss issues ranging from ways to ensure a post-pandemic global economic recovery to the US-led diplomatic boycott of next year's Winter Olympics in China, Kyodo News reported.
"This weekend the world's most influential democracies will take a stand against aggressors who seek to undermine liberty and send a clear message that we are a united front," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a press release issued ahead of the meeting.
The foreign ministers from the G7 nations will be joined by their counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations except for Myanmar which has been thrown into political turmoil following the military's February coup. The leaders are also expected to discuss China's maritime aggression in the region during a session on Sunday, Kyodo News reported.
The meeting is being hosted by the United Kingdom, which holds this year's G7 Presidency.
The development comes after the UK, Canada and Australia joined President Joe Biden's bid to boycott the Winter Olympics.
France and Japan are also mulling over the decision. According to CNN, the move marks an escalation of pressure by the US on China over allegations of forced labour and human rights abuses in China's western region of Xinjiang, particularly against the Uyghur population and other ethnic and religious minority groups.
China has been rebuked by a number of countries over the human rights abuses by Chinese Communist Party in Xinjiang province.
( With inputs from ANI )
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