China Distances Itself From Envoy Remarks on Ex-Soviet States
- Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says China’s position ‘unchanged’
- Chinese ambassador in France sparked fury in TV interview
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China sought to distance itself from remarks by its envoy to France questioning the independence of ex-Soviet states that sparked a firestorm in Europe and undercut French efforts to enlist Beijing’s help in pushing for peace in Ukraine.
The comments by Ambassador Lu Shaye on LCI television were not a political declaration but rather “an expression of personal points of view” and shouldn’t be over-interpreted, the Chinese embassy in Paris said in a statement.