China Attempts to Limit Damage to Relations with Europe
In an effort to limit damage to its relations with Europe, China acted quickly yesterday after the Chinese ambassador to France questioned the sovereignty of post-Soviet nations such as Ukraine. The comments made by Ambassador Lu Shaye during a televised interview on Friday caused a diplomatic firestorm over the weekend among European foreign ministers and lawmakers. China attempted to mitigate the fallout by insisting that it recognized the sovereignty of the former Soviet republics that declared independence, including Ukraine.
However, the issue has not disappeared. France summoned Lu to the foreign ministry to explain the comments. The Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which were annexed by the Soviet Union after World War II, also announced that they would summon their Chinese envoys.
Diplomacy: The fallout over the remarks threatened to upset China’s efforts to bolster trade with Europe while still supporting Russia. The war in Ukraine has put China in an awkward…
2023-04-24 16:29:06
Article from www.nytimes.com