After its envoy to Paris sparked outrage in European capitals, China’s foreign ministry said on Monday that it respects former Soviet states’ sovereignty.
Several EU foreign ministers had condemned Ambassador Lu Shaye’s remarks, which appeared to doubt Ukraine and other former Soviet governments’ sovereignty, and requested Beijing to explain its position.
Lu told French TV on Friday that Crimea was historically part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
“These ex-USSR countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status,” Lu said.
Lu is known as one of China’s “wolf warrior” ambassadors, aggressive and confrontational.
Jan Lipavsky, Czech Foreign Minister, told media before a Luxembourg EU foreign ministers conference that his current statements were “totally unacceptable.” “I hope this ambassador’s bosses clarify.”
Several EU ministers called the comments unacceptable. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the three Baltic countries, all former Soviet republics, would summon Chinese representatives to ask for clarification and see if their position had changed.
Luxembourg’s foreign minister Jean Asselborn branded Lu’s statements a “blunder” and said calm was being sought.
Objective and impartial
Asked if Lu’s statement mirrored China’s official attitude, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning replied that Beijing respected the sovereignty of former Soviet member states after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Mao told a regular press briefing that her sovereignty words reflected China’s official position.
Her reply seemed to distance Beijing from Lu’s views and calm Brussels.
She called China “objective and impartial” on sovereignty concerns.
Later Monday, the French foreign ministry would hold a “very firm” talk with the Chinese ambassador.
Lu has been summoned to the foreign ministry multiple times, notably for alleging France was abandoning elderly nursing home residents during the COVID-19 outbreak and dubbing a distinguished China expert at a French think-tank a “mad hyena.”
EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell said the 27-nation group would “assess and recalibrate strategy towards China” at Monday’s summit, including Lu’s statements.
“We will have to continue discussions about China, it is one of the most important issues of our foreign policy,” he added.
EU Council President Charles Michel said EU leaders would debate China’s attitude and relations with Beijing at their June summit.
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