French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic efforts to enlist China’s help to intervene in Russia’s war in Ukraine has suffered another blow.
The Chinese Ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, told the French network LCI that the ex-Soviet states don’t have sovereign status as independent nations, a statement that ignores the internationally recognized borders in Eastern and Central Europe.
Lu’s comments triggered furious reactions, particularly in the former Soviet bloc countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which announced plans to summon Chinese diplomats in their capitals. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden had already expressed irritation with Macron on his outreach to China, according to people familiar with the matter.