China Envoy Under Fire After Remarks on Ex-Soviet States

Facts

• China's ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, came under fire this weekend after questioning the sovereignty of former Soviet states in an interview on French television.¹
• When asked if he considered Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, a part of Ukraine, Lu said that, "under international law," former Soviet Union countries like Crimea lack "effective status ... because there’s no international accord to concretise their status as a sovereign country." He then said the issue of Crimea was complex and depended on one's position, mentioning that, "Crimea was originally part of Russia."²
• Representatives of Ukraine and France condemned the remarks and called on Beijing to clarify whether they represented the government's official position. Mao Ning, Spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry, said on Monday that China had consistently respected the sovereign independence and territorial integrity of all countries.³
• Meanwhile, Mikhail Razvozhayev, governor of the Crimean city of Sevastopol, said that Russia's Black Sea Fleet repelled a drone attack on the peninsula early on Monday. He said one drone was shot down while another exploded of its own accord, adding that there were no reports of resultant damage or injuries.⁴
• In other news, as Ukraine prepares to launch a spring counteroffensive, US military think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has reported that nine brigades are being organized for the operation.⁵
• Discussing the counteroffensive in an interview with Al Arabiya over the weekend, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated: "Our army is getting ready, and we are doing everything we can in order to make it stronger." Commenting on the situation overall, he said: "I cannot describe the situation as good, but we are fighting. We are stronger than we were a year ago."⁶
• Elsewhere, Darya Trepova was denied bail by a court in Moscow on Monday. Prosecutors have accused the 26-year-old Russian woman of being behind an explosion in a St Petersburg café that killed military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky and injured more than 40 others earlier this month. Trepova faces charges of terrorism.⁷

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²Lrt.Lt, ³Al Jazeera, ⁴TASS, ⁵Understandingwar, ⁶Al Arabiya English, and ⁷US News & World Report.

Narratives

• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. China was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with former Soviet countries. Its position has been clear and consistent since the start of these relations; China respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and upholds the principles of the UN charter. China's position on Ukraine has been objective and fair, and it is willing to work with the international community to play a role in creating a solution to the current crisis.
• Anti-China narrative, as provided by Le Monde. The comments from Lu Shaye are unacceptable and threaten the security of Europe. These words go beyond the norms of diplomatic discourse and should be vehemently repudiated. France must take immediate action to declare Lu a persona non grata and send him back to Beijing.

Predictions