China Foreign Ministry Says It Respects Sovereignty Of Ex-Soviet States After EU Uproar

 

Reuters: China says it respects sovereignty of ex-Soviet states after EU uproar 

PARIS (Reuters) - China respects the status of former Soviet member states as sovereign nations, its foreign ministry said on Monday, distancing itself from comments by its envoy to Paris that triggered an uproar among European capitals. 

Several EU foreign ministers had said earlier that comments by ambassador Lu Shaye - in which he questioned the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet states - were unacceptable and had asked Beijing to clarify its stance. 

Asked about his position on whether Crimea was part of Ukraine or not, Lu said in an interview aired on French TV on Friday that historically it was part of Russia and had been offered to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. 

 "These ex-USSR countries don't have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status," Lu added.  

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WNU Editor: Beijing had no choice but to say this publicly. But privately, they are all in agreement with ambassador Lu Shaye.

EU’s Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell Tells China They Need To Behave

EU-China relations will also depend on China’s behaviour in areas of vital importance for us.

Our EU positions must be clear and aligned - above all around four key elements: values and rights, economic security, Taiwan, and Ukraine.https://t.co/qYsqXKUoDf pic.twitter.com/gH4rK3yw7X

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) April 18, 2023

Taipei Times: China’s behavior will affect EU ties, Borrell tells G7 

The relationship between China and Europe would be determined by Beijing’s behavior, including what happens with Taiwan, the EU’s foreign policy chief said yesterday. 

The comments from EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, in a remote address at the start of the meeting of the G7 foreign ministers in Japan, highlighted two of the themes that have come into focus ahead of the three-day gathering: the need for a united approach to China and concerns about Taiwan.  

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WNU Editor: According to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell the current four top EU foreign policy priorities are .... values and rights (whatever that means), economic security (economic sanctions against China), Taiwan (that so happens to be on the otherside of the world), and Ukraine (who is not a member of the EU). 

A prediction. China tunes out when they are being lectured. And they will certainly respond if the EU starts to impose sanctions.

China Tells The EU To Drop Calls For Ukraine’s ‘Complete Victory’

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting on the sidelines of a BRICS summit, in Brasilia, Brazil, November 13, 2019. Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov/Kremlin via REUTERS  

Insider: China weighs in on the war in Ukraine, pushing Europe to stop trying to get Kyiv a 'complete victory' over Russia 

* China warned the West against pushing for Ukraine's "complete victory" over Russia. 

* "We are quite concerned about the possible escalation of this conflict," China's diplomat to the EU said. 

* The Chinese diplomat said Beijing believes negotiations would be a better route forward. 

The Chinese government has largely avoided taking strong public stances on Russia's war in Ukraine, but Beijing's ambassador to the EU expressed concern on Wednesday about Western support for Kyiv. 

He also threw cold water on the idea the conflict has any connection to Taiwan, a sticking point for China. "Frankly speaking, we are quite concerned about the possible escalation of this conflict," Fu Cong, China's top envoy to the EU, said at an event hosted by the European Policy Centre in Brussels, per Politico. 

He said China doesn't believe "only providing weapons will actually solve the problem," taking an apparent jab at the military aid Western countries have been continuously providing Ukraine throughout the war.  

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Update: China to EU: Drop calls for Ukraine’s ‘complete victory’ (Politico)  

WNU Editor: The EU is not listening.

China Responds To NATO's Claim That Beijing Poses “Serious Challenges” To Global Stability

The Guardian: Beijing hits out at Nato strategy for ‘malicious attack’ on China  

Western military bloc says China poses ‘serious challenges’ to global stability 

China has issued a strong rebuke at Nato, calling out what it said was “cold war thinking and ideological bias”, after the western military bloc said Beijing posed “serious challenges” to global stability. 

Nato allies agreed for the first time to include challenges and threats posed by China into a strategy blueprint in its latest summit in Madrid this week. 

The alliance’s previous document, issued in 2010, made no mention of China.  

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China Responds To NATO's Claim That Beijing Poses “Serious Challenges” To Global Stability 

China Rails Against NATO as Asian Rivals Attend Summit for First Time -- Newsweek  

Beijing slams NATO over 'completely futile' China warning -- AFP  

China tells UN expansion of Nato into Asia-Pacific will stir up conflict -- SCMP  

NATO cites China as top threat, Beijing cries 'ideological prejudices’ -- FOX News  

NATO vows to guard ‘every inch of territory’ as Russia fumes -- AP  

Europe sees China through a Russian lens, and Beijing is not happy -- CNN

EU Says It Wants To Become A 'Bigger Actor' In Asia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. © Reuters/POOL  

Reuters: EU seeks bigger role in Asia's 'theatre of tensions', warns on China  

TOKYO (Reuters) -European Union leaders said on Thursday that the EU wants to become a bigger actor in Asia, which they termed a "theatre of tensions", warning of an increasingly assertive China even as they called on Beijing to defend the multilateral global order. 

The call came in a joint news conference in Tokyo after an EU-Japan summit featuring European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. 

It also came a day after Beijing warned the summit not to "speak ill" of China. The trio said they would keep up talks on ways to maximise their partnership to tackle Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, in areas such as energy as well as aid, joining in a statement to call for the immediate cessation of hostilities.  

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WNU Editor: I am rolling my eyes right now.

Chinese President Xi Urging Europe To Promote Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks

Russian President #VladimirPutin "calmly but firmly" stated that #NATO created "absolutely unacceptable threat" in restrained V-Day speech, which Chinese analysts said sent a signal to West… https://t.co/pdL8ESwxBk

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) May 9, 2022

Zero Hedge: China's Xi Urges Europe To Promote Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks, Resisting US Pressure 

During a Monday virtual meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Xi stressed that Europe must play an active role in promoting peace talks, and in "building a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework," according to China's state media. 

Xi said "all efforts must be made to avoid the intensification and expansion of the Ukraine conflict, and China welcomes all efforts that are conducive to promoting peace talks," according to a translation. "China welcomes all efforts of the international community that facilitate the ceasefire and negotiations, the relevant parties should support Russia and Ukraine in reaching peace through negotiations," the Chinese leader said further. 

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WNU Editor: I do not see Russia - Ukraine peace talks happening anytime soon. Even with Chinese pressure. There are too many parties who want this war to continue.

Is China Making A Strategic Mistake In Retaliating Against Europe?

 

CNBC: China made a ‘huge strategic blunder’ in retaliating against Europe, former U.S. negotiator says 

 * China imposed sanctions on 10 European Union politicians and four other entities in March.

 * Beijing was retaliating for Western sanctions on Chinese officials accused of severe human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

 * In response, the European Parliament last month paused the ratification of a new investment pact with China until Beijing lifted sanctions on the EU. 

China made a “huge strategic blunder” when it retaliated against Europe by imposing sanctions on EU politicians, former top White House trade negotiator Clete Willems said. 

Beijing’s actions killed a major investment agreement between the European Union and China, and the deal is “off the table now,” Willems told CNBC on Monday.  

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WNU Editor: China is also alienating other countries besides Europe .... China’s wolf warriors are undermining Beijing’s empathetic messaging on India’s Covid-19 crisis (Quartz). And on top of everything else, China is doubling down on their own sanctions .... China unveils new legal weapon to hit United States and other Western rivals with tougher sanctions (SCMP).

China Scrambles To Save China-EU Investment Deal And Pushes To Shelve Sanctions

SCMP: China-EU investment deal: Beijing calls on France to help unfreeze debate, shelved over sanctions 

Beijing has called on France to help restart discussions on an investment treaty between China and the European Union (EU), after Brussels voted last week to freeze talks until sanctions on European lawmakers were dropped. 

China’s commerce ministry said in a statement on Wednesday minister Wang Wentao had raised the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) in a video conference call with Franck Riester, the French minister delegate for foreign trade. 

“It is hoped that France will play an active role in boosting the signing and entry-into-effect of the pact as soon as possible,” Wang said during the meeting on Tuesday, adding it was a “win-win agreement”.  

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Update: China Scrambles To Save EU Investment Deal After Xi's Hardline Diplomacy "Backfires" (Zero Hedge)  

WNU Editor: The Chinese are not only focusing on France to reverse this EU decision .... Spanish PM touts EU recovery plan opportunities to China's Xi (Today Online).