Beijing says it respects status of countries such as Ukraine after ambassador’s comments spark row
Beijing has insisted it respects the status of the independent nations that emerged from the USSR after “totally unacceptable” remarks by China’s ambassador to France questioning the sovereignty of former Soviet states sparked outrage in EU capitals.and Latvia were among the members states on Monday to summon China’s envoys to account for the comments made late last week by Lu Shaye, which sparked a wave of outrage across Europe.
A French government official said Lu would get a “very firm” update in Paris, while the Czech foreign minister, Jan Lipavský, said before a meeting of his EU counterparts in Luxembourg that the remarks were “totally unacceptable”. Beijng on Monday sought to defuse the row. Asked if China stood behind the envoy’s remarks, the foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China had been one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with former Soviet states.
“The Soviet Union was a federal state, and externally as a whole, it had the status of being a subject of international law, so conversely, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the various republics have the status of sovereign states,” she said. EU leaders are expected to discuss China policy in June after a recent trip by Emmanuel Macron exposed differences in approach towards handling Xi Jingping’s authoritarian rule.
In 2019, an EU policy document described China as simultaneously a “partner”, “economic competitor” and “systemic rival”, but different member states attach different weight to each part of that assessment.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Baltic states condemn China envoy’s remarks over sovereignty of ex-Soviet nationsLu Shaye’s comments raise fresh questions over China’s role in brokering peace in Ukraine
Read more »
Chinese ambassador questions sovereignty of ex-Soviet states, provoking angerThe comments on French television has raised wider questions about Beijing’s attempts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Read more »
McGowan handpicked The West to travel with him to BeijingOther media outlets were told they needed official invitations from “an industry counterpart” in China if they wanted to cover the WA premier’s trip.
Read more »
Beijing lashes out after Canberra's major defence reviewBeijing has accused Australia of using “groundless Chinese threat arguments” as an “excuse” to expand military power, in a veiled response to Canberra's sweeping defence review.
Read more »
China 'building cyberweapons to hijack enemy satellites'Leaked CIA files show Beijing's ambitions in space warfare, reports said. 9News
Read more »
China 'building cyberweapons to hijack enemy satellites'Leaked CIA files show Beijing's ambitions in space warfare, reports said. 9News
Read more »