Almost 80 members of the European parliaments are calling on French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to declare Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye persona non grata for his scandalous remarks about the countries of the former USSR.
The open letter of the deputies was published by the Le Monde newspaper, "European Truth" reports.
The parliamentarians call on the French government to take measures against the aggressive remarks made on Friday, April 21 by the Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, which "clearly violate international law and which should be considered as a threat to the security of France's European partner countries."
"In addition to deeply insulting the history, culture and fundamental integrity of the respective nations, the ambassador's remarks are aimed at undermining the fundamental principles on which diplomatic relations are based. China – or any other country – has no right to question the sovereignty of others," the statement said. leaves
Deputies say that at a time when war is raging in Europe, caused by Russia's aggression against the territorial integrity of Ukraine, the democratic world must send an unequivocal signal to authoritarian countries to protect the sovereignty of allies.
They reminded that it is not the first time that Ambassador Lu has made outrageous and humiliating statements. He recently said that the Taiwanese people must be "re-educated" after it comes under Beijing's control.
"In the recent past, the French government has acted quickly, expelling diplomats who have spoken inappropriately. It is in view of these precedents that we ask you to declare Ambassador Lu Shaye persona non grata in response to his completely unacceptable behavior," the deputies said.
"We hope that you will take these steps to underline France's commitment to the fundamental values that unite us in Europe," the letter reads.
In an interview with French broadcaster LCI that aired on Friday, Lu said that some "countries of the former Soviet Union" do not have the status of a sovereign state in international law.
The comments angered Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which said they would summon Chinese diplomats to their capitals for an explanation. High-ranking EU diplomat Josep Borrell called this statement "unacceptable".
Ambassador of Ukraine to France Vadym Omelchenko sharply reacted to the statements of the Chinese diplomat.
After a wave of outrage, a spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that China respects the status of former Soviet republics as sovereign countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Chinese Embassy in France also deleted the transcript of the controversial interview.