After scandal: China reaffirms recognition of the sovereignty of the ex-Soviet republics

Following a wave of controversy over controversial statements by China’s ambassador to France, the Chinese government has confirmed that it will continue to recognize the sovereignty of the former Soviet republics.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning indirectly distanced herself from the account of Ambassador Lu Shaye, who had questioned sovereignty, before the press in Beijing on Monday. “China respects the status of the former Soviet republics and sovereign countries after the dissolution of the Soviet Union,” Mao Ning affirmed.

China was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with them. The Chinese position is “clear and consistent”. When asked, Mao Ning confirmed that China also considers Ukraine to be a sovereign state. The spokeswoman attributed the controversy not to the ambassador, but to “some media outlets” who have distorted China’s position on Ukraine and caused disputes in relations with the countries involved.

When asked if Crimea belongs to Ukraine, the diplomat said in a French TV interview that it all depends on how you look at the issue. When the moderator interjected that the Black Sea Peninsula, occupied by Russia since 2014, was part of Ukraine under international law, Lu Shaye replied: “Under international law, even these countries of the former Soviet Union have no effective status because there is no international agreement to change their status as a sovereign country.”

The statements were met with outrage in Europe and especially in the Baltic States. Due to the “completely unacceptable” comments, the chargé d’affaires of the Chinese embassy in Riga have been summoned for Monday, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said. This move was coordinated with Lithuania and Estonia, who also demanded clarification and withdrawal. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also strongly criticized the statements.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were alternately occupied by the Soviet Union and Germany during World War II. After the end of the war, the three small Baltic states in northeastern Europe became Soviet republics against their will for decades. They became independent only in 1991 and have been part of the EU and NATO since 2004. (aeg/sda/dpa)