G7 summit proving to be self-serving and divisive

Beijing should not be taken aback if the G7 summit in IseShima, Japan, ends with a statement repeating the same message on maritime security the members' foreign ministers delivered last month.

They need things like that to showcase the group's "harmony" and "solidarity". Their host, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, needs it to showcase his "leadership".

Nor should Beijing feel offended. China is not the party violating the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea or the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or altering the status quo. It was neither the first, nor is it the only country to engage in land reclamation. Should any of the seven leaders have difficulty understanding that, they can consult their host on what Japan has done concerning Douglas Reef.