Statements by Chinese Ambassador to France Lou Shaye about the lack of sovereign status of the countries of the former USSR hit the image of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Bloomberg writes..

“Xi Jinping has been on a winning streak lately, successfully fending off US attempts to portray China as a threat to the world order.. Then the ambassador to France instantly revived all these fears, ”the newspaper notes..

China tried to " The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in France called the ambassador's words in an interview a "

" The statements effectively echoed Russian leader Vladimir Putin's view of Ukraine and other countries that once formed the Soviet Union, undermining Xi's efforts to portray China as a neutral party to help end the war..

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“Lu’s remarks and the strong reaction they have provoked across Europe is something of an own goal,” Ja Yang Chong, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, said in a comment.. “This incident is indicative of tensions in China’s foreign policy. They want to appear as open and strong.”.

The incident heightened investors' concerns about geopolitical risks, already preoccupied by tensions in Sino-U.S. relations.. Also, the ambassador's statements to France damage the image of China, which seeks to improve its position on the world stage after three years of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic..

However, Lu's incident could end quickly in some smaller European countries, said Neil Thomas of the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis..

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Chinese Ambassador to France Lou Chaye made his scandalous statements on April 21 on French TV channel La Chaine Info.. After the deputies of the European Parliament called on French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to expel the ambassador from the country and declare him persona non grata. The Chinese Embassy in France never released the ambassador's speech and later deleted the transcript from the official WeChat account..

Bloomberg believes that Lu's statements not only hit Xi Jinping's image, but also destroyed the attempts of French President Emmanuel Macron to involve China in ending the war in Ukraine..