By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON The Group of Seven countries affirmed their unity and stressed the need for close coordination in dealing with China, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with G7 representatives in London.
"The G7 noted the importance of close coordination on the PRC (People's Republic of China) and reaffirmed that the G7 is more united than ever," the State Department said in a statement.
Blinken met representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union on the sidelines of a conference in London and briefed them on his meetings with leaders in China on a recent trip, the State Department said.
Blinken's G7 meeting came a day after U.S. President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "dictator." China said that Biden's remarks, made at a fundraiser, were absurd and a provocation.
Blinken recently completed a visit to China aimed at stabilizing relations between the U.S. and China that Beijing says are at their lowest point since formal ties were established in 1979.
Blinken met Xi during his China trip, and they both agreed on Monday to stabilize the U.S.-China rivalry so it did not veer into conflict. While the visit did not yield breakthroughs, both sides agreed to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by U.S. officials in the coming weeks and months.
Blinken, in his meeting with the G7, also discussed support for Ukraine amid Russia's invasion, according to the State Department. He met Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday and discussed the need for Ukraine to continue to implement reforms to establish an environment for investment, the State Department added.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Sandra Maler and Leslie Adler)
