‘Totally unacceptable’: outrage over Chinese ambassador’s dismissal of ex-Soviet statehood

Countries that were previously in the Soviet Union have expressed outrage at comments by a Chinese ambassador dismissing their status as independent nations, which have undermined efforts by Beijing to present itself as a neutral mediator regarding Ukraine.

In a television interview over the weekend, Beijing’s ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, said countries that were formerly in the bloc “don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialise their sovereign status”.

The remarks caused an international uproar and the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which regained their independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, summoned Chinese diplomats on Monday to ask whether this constituted China’s official position.

“It’s completely unacceptable,” said Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, adding that the Baltic states “are not post-Soviet countries, we are the countries that were illegally occupied by the Soviet Union”.

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“What it reminds us of is what we’ve seen happening when Moscow propagandists are talking about Ukraine. They question the sovereignty of the countries, they question the borders, they question the territorial integrity of the countries,” Mr Landsbergis said.

“We’ve always been saying that we do not trust China as a mediator, as a possible mediator. It definitely has chosen a side. It has sided with Russia, politically.”

He called on ally countries to also condemn the comments and to seek clarification from Beijing, speaking as he entered a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg that was set to discuss the issue.

The Czech Republic’s foreign minister Jan Lipavský also called the remarks “totally unacceptable”.

“We are denouncing such a statement, and I hope that bosses of this ambassador will make things straight,” he said.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, said the remarks were unacceptable and that “the EU can only suppose these declarations do not represent China’s official policy”.

Estonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna called on Mr Borrell to go further and said his statement had not been sufficient.

“We are independent sovereign countries, we are a member of the European Union, Nato. I hope that there will be an explanation. We are not satisfied with the announcement [of Borrell],” Mr Tsahkna said.

Mr Lu has typified China’s combative ‘Wolf Warrior’ style diplomacy as an outspoken figure since he took up his post in Paris four years ago. A transcript of his remarks were posted on the embassy’s official WeChat page before being deleted.

On Monday, China’s foreign ministry said that Beijing “respects the status of the member states as sovereign states after the collapse of the Soviet Union” and that China had been one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the emergent states.