TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Group of Seven (G7) forum should be reformed and add more democratic nations, including Taiwan, a German think tank advocated Monday (June 27).

The group, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and the European Union as its members, held its summit in the German town of Schloss Elmau June 26-28.

The German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) criticized the organization as being unable to face current crisis situations, CNA reported. It should therefore be reformed and include new members, especially democratic nations such as Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, institute members Hanns Maull and Johannes Thimm said.

In order to resist authoritarian regimes and the “axis” between China and Russia, the G7 should rely on its core values of democracy, freedom, and social welfare to expand into a “G10+1” bloc, with Taiwan as the plus one, the academics said. They added that its adhesion to the alliance should not violate the “One China” principle.

The group could function as a counterweight to the G20, of which only half the members have agreed to sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. The academics said the new “G10+1” should promote Western values both domestically and internationally, while being more forceful about implementing its decisions.