British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, center, hosts the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Session with Guest Countries and ASEAN Nations in Liverpool, England Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. (Anthony Devlin/Pool via AP)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Group of Seven industrialized nations is concerned about China's "coercive" economic policies, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Sunday, according to Reuters news agency.

       "We are concerned about the coercive economic policies of China," Reuters quoted Truss as saying at a news conference in Liverpool, England, on the second day of a two-day G-7 foreign ministers meeting. "And what we want to do is build the investment reach, the economic trade reach, of like-minded, freedom-loving democracies."

       She made the remarks as the G-7 foreign ministers held a meeting with their counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the first time, apparently to coordinate policy on China with the 10-member group in response to Beijing's rising economic and military clout in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

       The G-7 and ASEAN agreed to promote cooperation in ensuring recovery from the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry.

       Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi stressed that ASEAN is key to achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific.

       Prior to the meeting, the British government said Truss "will encourage her Southeast Asian counterparts to play a role in shaping global standards on cutting-edge tech."

       "The G-7 and ASEAN will discuss working together to ensure the free flow of data while stamping out pernicious practices like intellectual property theft and cybercrime," it said, in a veiled swipe at China, often accused of unfair trade practices and other dubious activities.

       The crisis in Myanmar will be discussed in the meeting, it said.

       Of the ASEAN member states, military-ruled Myanmar was excluded from the gathering as the country was thrown into political turmoil following a coup in February.

       On the ASEAN side, Brunei and the Philippines attended the meeting in person, while seven others joined virtually due to the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

       ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

       During two days of talks, the foreign ministers of the G-7 -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union -- shared concerns about Russia's military buildup near the border with Ukraine.

       Moscow would face "massive consequences" if it engages in further military aggression toward Ukraine, according to Truss.

       The G-7 reaffirmed support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression.

       The United States and its European allies are concerned that the movement of Russian troops and weapons to the border area may be a prelude to an invasion.

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