European states reacted with fury to a Chinese language envoy questioning the independence of ex-Soviet states, tainting China’s push to court docket leaders within the area and burnish its credentials to dealer peace after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Some “ex-Soviet Union nations” don’t have efficient standing underneath worldwide regulation, Chinese language Ambassador to France Lu Shaye mentioned in an interview aired Friday on French community LCI.
“There isn’t any worldwide settlement to comprehend their standing as a sovereign nation,” he mentioned, after being questioned if he considers Crimea, a peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, a part of Ukraine.
After the feedback, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia introduced plans to summon the highest Chinese language diplomats of their nations to elucidate the feedback. All three are former members of the Soviet bloc, which collapsed in 1991.
Latvia’s International Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs mentioned in a Saturday publish on Twitter the coordinated transfer was in response to Lu’s “unacceptable statements.” Margus Tsahkna, his counterpart in Estonia, known as the feedback “false and a misinterpretation of historical past.”
The diplomatic firestorm threatens to overshadow China’s makes an attempt to painting itself as a peacemaker in Russia’s conflict in Ukraine — and to enhance commerce and diplomatic relations with the European Union. French President Emmanuel Macron, president of the European fee Ursula von der Leyen and German International Minister Annalena Baerbock have visited Beijing in latest weeks.
It additionally questions Macron’s initiative to work with China to determine a framework for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which Bloomberg Information beforehand reported, citing individuals aware of the plans.
France’s international ministry mentioned it has taken observe of the ambassador’s feedback with “dismay.”
“It stays for China to say whether or not these feedback mirror its place, which we hope shouldn’t be the case,” the ministry mentioned, whereas stressing its “full solidarity with all our allies and companions in query, who’ve obtained their long-awaited independence after many years of oppression.”
The Chinese language embassy in France and China’s Ministry of International Affairs didn’t instantly reply to queries from Bloomberg Information exterior of regular working hours.
Lithuania’s International Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis cited Lu’s feedback in a tweet Saturday to elucidate “why the Baltic states don’t belief China to ‘dealer peace in Ukraine.’”
Taiwan, which is looking for European help as Beijing seeks to peel off its remaining diplomatic allies, voiced help for Lithuania’s place. International Minister Joseph Wu responded to Landsbergis’s tweet Sunday, voicing solidarity with the Baltic states.
It’s not the primary time Lu has stirred controversy along with his remarks. The outspoken ambassador has previously embraced his function as a “wolf warrior,” referring to a extra assertive, confrontational type of diplomacy which China appeared to have been shifting away from.
Final yr, he known as for Taiwanese to be “re-educated” and blamed “international forces” for fueling mass protests that erupted in November over China’s strict Covid insurance policies.
–With help from Adam Majendie, Colum Murphy, Debby Wu and Jenny Che.
