Chinese ambassadors summoned by Baltic states after outcry over comments by Beijing’s representative in France

International outrage after remarks by the Chinese ambassador to France. Asked Friday, April 21 on LCI, Lu Shaye assured, about Crimea, occupied by Moscow since 2014, that the territory “was, at the very beginning, to Russia”. He continued his argument, believing that the countries of the former USSR had “not effective status in international law because there is no international agreement to concretize their status as a sovereign country”.

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The diplomat also called for an end to “quibble” on the issue of post-Soviet borders. “Now the most urgent thing is to stop, to achieve the ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, he said.

China dissociates itself from its ambassador

In response to these remarks, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia announced that they would summon the Chinese ambassadors “to ask for clarification”, detailed the head of Lithuanian diplomacy, Gabrielius Landsbergis. The three Baltic states want “to know if China’s position has changed regarding independence, and to remember that we are not post-Soviet countries but countries that have been illegally occupied by the Soviet Union”.

Lu Shaye’s statements also caused French diplomacy to react. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs underlined in a press release on Saturday that it “acknowledged with dismay” of these remarks, asking China “to say [s’ils] reflect its position, which we hope is not the case”.

Beijing reacted on Monday. China respects the “sovereign statehood” of the countries of the former USSR, assured Monday, the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning.