The Group of Seven leaders meeting in Mie Prefecture this week will express "strong opposition" to island construction and militarization of outposts in the South China Sea, offering a veiled criticism of Beijing asserting its claims to disputed islands and atolls, according to G-7 sources.
The leaders, without singling out China, will dismiss "unilateral actions that could alter the status quo" in a declaration to be issued after their two-day summit wraps up Friday, the sources said Monday.
While Japan and the United States are alarmed by China's military buildup and muscle-flexing in the South and East China seas, European countries have focused more on boosting economic relations with Beijing, making it difficult for them to openly criticize the world's second-largest economy.