China said on Monday (24) respect the sovereignty of former Soviet states, such as Ukraine, after the speech of a Chinese diplomat led to a series of condemnations by European countries.
On Friday (21), the Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, told the French news channel LCI that these countries “have no royal status in international law because there is no international agreement to confirm their status as sovereigns”.
Lu argued that Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula, occupied by Russia since 2014, was “historically” part of Russian territory and had its control transferred to Ukraine by then-Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1954.
After the speech, nations such as France, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania spoke out condemning the statements – the last three countries, which were part of the Soviet Union, informed that they would summon Chinese representatives in their countries to provide clarification.
On Monday, the Chinese embassy in France said in a statement that Lu’s comments were not a “political statement” but “the expression of personal views during a television interview”.
On Twitter, the embassy added that “the Chinese side always respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries and upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.”
“After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, China was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the countries in question. On the Ukraine issue, China’s position is consistent and clear. It is available to continue working with the international community to make its own contribution to the political solution of the Ukrainian crisis,” she pointed out.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning reiterated the argument that China was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with former Soviet states.
“The Chinese side respects the status of member states as sovereign states after the collapse of the Soviet Union,” Mao said.
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