Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics wrote on Twitter late on Saturday that he had asked China’s charge d’affaires to meet at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday to explain himself about the remarks which the Latvian side described as completely unacceptable.

– We expect an explanation and a complete withdrawal of this statement from the Chinese side, said the foreign minister in Latvia, a country which is a member of the EU and NATO.

television interview

In an interview with French television, China’s ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, questioned the sovereignty of countries that were previously part of the long-disbanded Soviet Union.

The presenter emphasized that the Crimean peninsula which was occupied by Russia in 2014 is still part of Ukraine according to international conventions.

In response, Lu replied that the rules of international law state that the countries of the former Soviet Union do not have an established position because there is no international agreement concretizing their status.

Completely incomprehensible

– The statements of Chinese diplomats are completely incomprehensible, and we condemn such statements directed at an independent and independent nation, said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.

In Lithuania, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis tweeted: If anyone is still wondering why the Baltic states are not convinced that China will be able to broker peace in Ukraine, note that here we have the Chinese ambassador claiming that Crimea is Russia and that our borders have no legal status.

France’s foreign ministry said it took note of the statement with regret. A spokesman said it was up to China to clarify whether this was China’s official viewpoint.