Chinese diplomat's comment goes against international law – presidential aide

VILNIUS –  The Chinese ambassador's statement questioning the sovereignty of ex-Soviet nations goes against international law, Kestutis Budrys, Gitanas Nauseda's chief national security advisor, said on Monday. 

"The comment, of course, is completely contrary to international law, which it refers to, and completely inconsistent with the facts, from a legal point of view," Budrys told reporters.  

"In a sense, this is one of the steps in questioning the whole international structure and the security structure in which we live," he added.

The statement "should not go unnoticed by Beijing itself", according to the advisor. 

Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said that despite the Chinese foreign ministry's subsequent statement, the ambassador's comment was an indication of the state's position. 

"There was a reaction, both public and all other all forms. The ambassador's statement is, however, a representation of the state's position," the minister said.

"In this case, the Chinese Foreign Ministry seems to have denied the ambassador's statement, but on the other hand, it shows what appears to be an internal debate within China on its relationship with the so-called post-Soviet Eastern European nations, without taking into account any issues of international law," he said. 

Lu Shaye, China's ambassador in Paris, said in an interview with France's news channel LCI last Friday that ex-Soviet Union countries "do not have effective status under international law because there is not an international agreement confirming their status as sovereign nations".

Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, called the statement "unacceptable".

The Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday that Beijing respected the "sovereign state status" of all ex-Soviet countries.