Chinese ambassador to France questions sovereignty of ex-soviet states, prompts outrage

The Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, has raised doubts about the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet republics, citing their alleged unclear status under international law as a hindrance to resolving conflicts over disputed territories like Crimea. Ambassador Lu Shaye made these remarks during an interview with French broadcaster LCI on Saturday. He claimed that these countries lack effective status in international law due to the absence of an international agreement that solidifies their status as sovereign nations. 

Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye called Crimea historically Russian

In response to the question whether Crimea is Ukrainian, the diplomat said: "It depends on how you perceive this problem. There is a story. Crimea was Russian at first, wasn't it? pic.twitter.com/S8rZIPCUTa

— MARIA (@its_maria012) April 23, 2023

“Even these countries of the former Soviet Union don’t have effective status in international law because there is no international agreement to make their status as a sovereign country concrete,” the Chinese diplomat said, rather undiplomatically, landing China in trouble. All Western nations are now talking about Shaye's views and most of them are, needless to say, outraged. 

Chinese Diplomat's undiplomatic history lesson

When the Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, was asked about the status of Crimea, Lu responded, "It depends on how you perceive the problem... It's not that simple." Rochebin, the interviewer attempted to correct Lu, stating, "Sorry, according to international law, you know it's Ukraine. Under international law, you can argue it, you can dispute it, but this is Ukraine." In response, Lu stated, "Crimea was originally part of Russia, wasn't it? It was [Soviet leader Nikita] Khrushchev who gave Crimea to Ukraine in the Soviet Union." It is worth flagging that the Chinese ambassador is factually correct. Crimea was given to Ukraine by Khrushchev when Ukraine was a part of the USSR. 

A Look at the Blowback

When the Chinese diplomat was pressed further on Crimea's status, he responded by saying “Now, we must not quarrel about this kind of problem again. Now, the most urgent thing is to stop, to cease fire, to stop.” The Chinese ambassador chose to make these remarks at a rather odd time. EU foreign ministers are slated to meet in Luxembourg on Monday and of the key topics up for discussion will be EU-China ties. 

The French Foreign Ministry has expressed "dismay" over Lu's comments. “We learned with dismay of the remarks of the Chinese ambassador to France concerning the borders of the countries which became independent with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. It is up to China to say whether these remarks reflect its position, which we hope not,” reads the statement. 

“Taking into account the unacceptable statements of the Chinese ambassador in France about international law and national sovereignty, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia has summoned the authorised charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Riga to provide explanations on Monday. This step is coordinated with Lithuania and Estonia,” wrote Edgars Rinkēvičs, the Latvian foreign minister.