Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Following recent comments made by the Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye concerning the sovereign status of ex-Soviet states, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday that China respects the status of the member republics as sovereign states after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. 

In response to a question about Crimea, Chinese FM spokesperson Mao Ning said China's position on the relevant issues has not changed.

 Regarding territory and sovereignty issues, China's stance is consistent and clear, which is respecting the sovereign independence and territorial integrity of all countries, and upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, she said at a press conference on Monday. 

China was one of the earliest countries to establish diplomatic relations with the relevant countries after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China has always adhered to the principles of mutual respect and equality, and developed bilateral friendly cooperation relations. China respects the status of the member republics as sovereign states after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, she said. 

The comments were made after some media outlets reported that Ambassador Lu told the French television LCI news channel during an interview that "these ex-Soviet Union countries don't have actual status in international law because there is no international agreement to materialize their sovereign status" when he was asked about the relations between Crimea and Ukraine. 

Regarding the sovereign status of ex-Soviet Union countries, Mao said the Soviet Union was a federal state and had the status of an entity of international law in its entirety in foreign affairs. However, this does not deny the fact that each member republic of the Soviet Union has the status of a sovereign state after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The spokesperson also emphasized that China's position on the Ukraine issue is objective and fair, and that China's stance is very clear. China is willing to work with the international community to play a role in promoting a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis.

Mao also noted that her statement represents the political stance of the Chinese government. In terms of respecting the sovereign independence of all countries and upholding the principles of the UN Charter, China is undoubtedly one of the best-performing countries, she said. 

During Monday's press conference, a foreign reporter followed up on the topic by asking whether China recognizes Ukraine as a sovereign state, toward which Mao laughed. 

"The country you mentioned is a formal member state of the UN, and only sovereign states can become formal members of the UN, which is common knowledge," she said. 

China has established and developed good bilateral relations with Ukraine based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence. Any attempt to sow discord or disrupt China's relations with relevant countries will be futile and have ulterior motives, the spokesperson noted.