China says it respects sovereignty of all former Soviet states
China said it respected the "sovereign state status" of all ex-Soviet countries on Monday, after Beijing’s ambassador to France sparked outrage in Europe by questioning the sovereignty of those nations.
Source: AFP, citing Mao Ning, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman
Quote: "China respects the sovereign state status of the participating republics after the dissolution of the Soviet Union," she said.
The spokeswoman stated that "China respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries and upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter."
Quote: "After the collapse of the Soviet Union, China was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with relevant countries," the representative of the ministry added.
She also said that some media misinterpret China’s position on the Ukrainian issue and are "sowing discord" in relations between China and relevant countries.
Background:
- Lu Shaye, China’s ambassador to France, said in an interview that former Soviet republics "lack effective status in international law because there is no international agreement to give substance to their status".
- He also said that the issue of the territorial ownership of Crimea, occupied by the Russian Federation, "depends on how one perceives the problem", and that the peninsula "belonged to Russia from the beginning".
- A number of European capitals called these statements unacceptable and called on Beijing to comment on the ambassador's words, and the Baltic States summoned Chinese ambassadors.
- Ukraine's Ambassador to France, Vadym Omelchenko, reacted sharply to the Chinese diplomat's statements.
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