China hits back after G7 attack

The Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned a joint statement from G7 leaders released on Wednesday that included criticism of Beijing's handling of international and domestic affairs.

The communique, penned by the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States, as well as representatives from the European Union, began by leveling accusations of "human rights violations" in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, before questioning Chinese handling of issues concerning its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, said the accusations are not founded on facts. The Chinese government has previously clarified many times that some Western governments and media outlets have relied on fabricated figures and misinterpretation of statistics to smear China.