At the end of April, China's ambassador to France, Lu Shaye drew the ire of many countries when he commented in an interview on French television that Crimea belongs to Russia and that former Soviet states lack legitimacy. While China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly retracted the statement, the incident amplified doubts as to whether China can be an impartial peace broker in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Jojje Olsson (@jojjeols) is a journalist and author based in Taiwan and the owner-editor of Sweden's biggest news site about China, kinamedia.se. He wrote that "China's statement about 'illegitimate' Soviet states should be taken seriously".
Jojje joins me on this episode of Perspectives with Neilo to discuss China's ability to be an impartial peace broker, the significance of wolf warrior Lu Shaye's comments, and the subsequent phone call by Xi Jinping to President Zelenskyy 14 months on from the start of the Russian invasion.
We also touch on Jojje's own journey and how conditions for journalists in China have changed in the past decade.
Date of Recording: May 12th, 2023
DIVE DEEPER
Additional information and references on the topics covered in this episode;
- China's statement about "illegitimate" Soviet states should be taken seriously - Jojje Olsson, kinamedia.se (April 25th, 2023)
- Russia and China deepen economic ties amid surge in trade since Ukraine invasion - Luke Harding, The Guardian, (May 24th, 2023)
- China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (February 24th, 2023)
- 2023 World Press Freedom Index - Reporters Without Borders
- Gui Minhai - imprisoned, humiliated and discredited - Jojje Olsson, Expressen (26th September, 2018)
