China’s ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, said that “the former Soviet Union countries do not have sovereignty” and received strong criticism from Europe. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “This is not China’s official position,” and has evolved, but doubts are growing over China’s intentions, which have taken on the role of “intermediary” in the Ukraine war.
According to Reuters and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 24th (local time), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Maoning said at a regular briefing that day, “China respects the sovereignty of the former Soviet Union countries,” but “some media outlets do not express China’s position on the Ukraine issue. By misrepresenting it, it is fomenting discord between China and related countries.”
Previously, Ambassador Lou appeared on French news channel LCI on the 21st and said, “The countries that appeared after the collapse of the Soviet Union have no effect under international law because there is no international agreement confirming their status as sovereign states.”
He also justified Russia’s annexation of the peninsula by saying, “The peninsula of Crimea (Crimea) was historically part of Russia and was given to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.”
Ukraine and the three Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), which belonged to the Soviet Union, immediately protested.
Latvia’s Foreign Minister Edgars Linkevich expressed his dismay on Twitter, saying, “Ambassador Lou’s comments on international law and national sovereignty are completely unacceptable.”
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis also said, “The reason why the Baltic countries still do not trust China’s mediation of peace in Ukraine is because of the Chinese ambassador (in France) who insists that the Crimean peninsula is Russia here and that our border has no legal basis. There is,” he said.
Mikhailo Podolyak, an aide to the President of Ukraine, also criticized China, saying that the former Soviet Union’s independent state status was “engraved in international law.”
The French Foreign Ministry also issued a statement calling for the use of language consistent with China’s official policy, calling the ambassador’s remarks “unacceptable”. French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed his willingness to stand with his allies, saying, “A diplomat should not use this language.”
The WSJ evaluated that Ambassador Lu’s remarks threw cold water on China’s efforts to act as a mediator in the recent war in Ukraine.
China seems to be ahead of mediation, such as presenting a kind of ‘peace proposal’ for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but its sincerity has been questioned by its appearance of avoiding official criticism while maintaining close relations with Russia.
In addition, the position of France, which was trying to attract China, also became embarrassing. Above all, there are observations that a sense of skepticism is spreading, overlapping with the situation in which President Macron was beaten by President Macron for his remarks on “keeping distance from Taiwan” after visiting China.
Valerie Niquet, a China expert at the French Strategic Research Foundation, said Ambassador Lou’s remarks undermined China’s efforts to restore relations with Europe.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.