G7 to deepen cooperation vs China's 'destabilizing' actions at sea

MANILA, Philippines — United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations agreed Wednesday, June 25, to deeper cooperation against "China's destabilizing actions in the South China Sea" on the sidelines of the NATO Summit.

The foreign ministers from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada spoke of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement on Wednesday.

The G7 foreign ministers' discussion on Indo-Pacific security came as the ministers also addressed other global flashpoints. They "discussed President Trump’s decisive action against Iran’s key nuclear facilities" and agreed that "Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon," the statement read.

They also discussed the "next steps to promote a durable peace between Israel and Iran."

US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the countries earlier this week after 12 days of their escalating exchange of missile strikes. 

The G7 ministers in March released a joint declaration on maritime security that expressed their objection to China's "illicit, provocative, coercive and dangerous actions" in the region, noting their "consistent expression of concern" over increasingly aggressive maneuvers used against Philippine vessels in the tense waterways.