Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies called on China to respect human rights but stopped short of an outright condemnation of Beijing, as President Biden sought to build momentum for an international coalition to counter Chinese influence in the world.A 25-page joint statement released by leaders of the G-7 nations on Sunday-covering problems ranging from pandemic recovery to the global economy, tax, trade, and girls’ education-asked China “to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially in relation to Xinjiang and those rights, freedoms and high immensity of autonomy for Hong Kong.” The same section of the statement stated that the G-7 would continue to consult on how to challenge China’s behavior in the global economy.The statement is unlikely to have any immediate effect. While it named Beijing despite some initial worries from several European leaders that forceful language may annoy China, the US didn’t succeed in naming china in a section of the statement condemning forced labor operations.French President Emmanuel Macron stated that he was eager to continue to engage with China on issues such as climate change. “That is unchanged,” he said, adding the nations needed to treat China with respect.