China's efforts to court leaders in ex-Soviet states have hit a snag after its top envoy to France, Ambassador Lu Shaye, questioned the independence of some former Soviet states. In an interview that aired on French network LCI on Friday, Lu said that some "ex-Soviet Union countries" don't have effective status under international law and that there is no international agreement to recognize their status as a sovereign nation. He was questioned on whether he considers Crimea, a peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, to be part of Ukraine.
The comments sparked outrage among European states, particularly Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, all of which are former members of the Soviet bloc. All three nations have announced plans to summon the top Chinese diplomats in their nations to explain the comments. In response to Lu's remarks, Latvia's foreign minister, Edgars Rinkēvičs, called the comments "unacceptable," while Estonia's foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, called them "false and a misinterpretation of history."
The diplomatic backlash could undermine China's efforts to portray itself as a peacemaker in Russia's war in Ukraine and improve trade and diplomatic relations with the European Union. It also raises questions about French President Emmanuel Macron's initiative to work with China to establish a framework for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which Bloomberg News previously reported, citing people familiar with the plans.
Lu's controversial remarks are not new. He has previously embraced his role as a "wolf warrior," referring to a more assertive, confrontational form of diplomacy that China appeared to have been shifting away from. Last year, he called for Taiwanese to be "re-educated" and blamed "foreign forces" for fueling mass protests that erupted in November over China's strict Covid policies.
The Chinese embassy in France and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not yet responded to queries from Bloomberg News. Meanwhile, Taiwan, which is seeking European support as Beijing seeks to peel off its remaining diplomatic allies, has voiced support for Lithuania's position. Its foreign minister, Joseph Wu, responded to a tweet by Lithuania's foreign minister citing Lu's comments, voicing solidarity with the Baltic states.