China clarifies after Lu Shaye’s statement triggers uproar among European capitals

China came under heavy scrutiny from European countries after its top diplomat in Paris Lu Shaye questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet republics. Clarifying its position on the issue, China said that it respects the status of former Soviet member states as sovereign nations. China’s clarification came after Lu Shaye’s statement triggered an uproar among European capitals.

Several EU foreign ministers had earlier said that Ambassador Lu Shaye’s statement questioning the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet states was unacceptable. Reacting to the uproar, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that Beijing respected the status of the former Soviet member states as sovereign nations following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In an interview aired on French TV, Lu was asked about his position on whether Crimea was part of Ukraine or not. Responding to the question, Lu said that historically Crimea was part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. He further said that former Soviet Union countries don’t have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status.