BEIJING—In a rare move, China’s Foreign Ministry has publicly distanced itself from statements made by a sitting ambassador. While appearing as a guest on a French political talk show Friday, Lu Shaye—the PRC’s top envoy in Paris—suggested that none of the former Soviet republics are recognized under international law.
In answering a question about Crimea’s status, Lu claimed the countries that emerged from the breakup of the Soviet Union “do not have effective status … under international law, because there is no international accord to concretize their status as sovereign countries.”
The remarks sparked outrage among the Baltic states, Ukraine and France, among others.