Lu Shaye, the CCP’s ambassador to France, recently ate “honest bean paste buns”. His “wild” remarks ignited the anger of many European countries. Lu Shaye’s remarks also poured cold water on French President Macron, and it is rumored that the White House is also angry with Macron. The Russo-Ukraine war has led to a surge in European military spending, hitting a new high after the Cold War, and it has also driven global military spending to another record high.
Ukrainian spring counteroffensive?U.S. think tank accuses Ukrainian army of establishing positions across river
After the Russian-Ukrainian war fell into a fierce stalemate in winter, the recent Ukrainian counterattack seems to have taken action. The Associated Press reported that the U.S. think tank Institute for War (ISW) reported on April 22 that according to the geolocation screen on the pro-Kremlin military blog, the Ukrainian army is already in the city of Kherson on the east bank of the Dnieper River. (Kherson) near the town of Oleshky (Oleshky) to establish a stronghold and stabilize supply lines.
ISW pointed out that in addition to the town of Oreshki, the Ukrainian army is also approaching the nearby village of Dachi, and pro-Russian bloggers claim that the Ukrainian army has maintained these positions for several weeks, indicating that Russia lacks control over the area. ISW mentioned that the Russian military may be inclined to consolidate existing gains in Ukraine rather than launch a wave of costly new operations.
In the past, analysts generally believed that if Ukraine were to launch a “spring counteroffensive”, the main goal would be to break through the “land corridor” between the Russian-occupied area and the Crimea Peninsula, and crossing the Dnieper River was the first step of this operation. Ukrainian media reported that the establishment of such positions on the east bank of the Dnieper River means that the counteroffensive has begun.
In this regard, Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson of the Southern Military District Command of Ukraine, responded that it should be patient.
Kumeniuk did not confirm or deny the ISW’s analysis report, but said that due to operational and security factors, she could not reveal the details of military operations in the Dnieper Delta. “The front line crosses a wide river and has to overcome obstacles like the Dnieper, which is very difficult work,” Khomeiniuk told Ukrainian television.
On the 23rd, Vladimir Saldo, the head of the Kherson-occupied region supported by Russia, denied that the Ukrainian army had established a stronghold on the east bank of the Dnieper River, stressing that the Russian army still had “full control” of the region.
NATO chief: All members agree “Ukraine will eventually join”
The Guardian reported that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg made a surprise visit to Kiev on the 20th and opened the door of hope for Ukraine to join NATO. “All NATO allies agree that Ukraine will be one of us,” Totenberg said ahead of discussions with Western defense ministers at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to help Ukraine.
Ukraine has long sought to join the European Union and NATO, hoping to block the threat posed by Russia by integrating into the Western system.
“No one knows how and when this war will end. All we know is that when the war is over, we need to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself,” Stoltenberg said.
NATO agreed in principle to Ukraine’s membership in 2008, but no further formal procedures have been pursued so far. According to NATO regulations, as long as any member state is attacked, it is considered an attack on all member states. The possibility of Ukraine joining NATO is also one of the reasons Russia claims for sending troops.
Leaked Secrets Reveal U.S. Intervention to Stop Ukraine Attack on Moscow
The “Washington Post” reported on April 24 that one of the recently leaked US Department of Defense confidential documents showed that, on February 13, Kyrylo Budanov, director of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s General Intelligence Service (GUR), ordered that GUR officials drew up a large-scale attack plan on the day of the first anniversary of Russia’s aggression (February 24). In addition to the Russian capital Moscow, the target also plans to use TNT bombs to launch a sea surprise attack on the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The action was symbolic, showing Ukraine’s ability to strike deep into enemy territory.
Reports say U.S. intelligence officials covertly monitor plans by Ukrainians, that Kiev has sought to divert hostilities onto Russian soil and has at times been restrained by the U.S., and that Washington fears the Kremlin will react too strongly to the attacks. The GUR later agreed to postpone the attack on Moscow at the request of Washington.
The United States has been trying to avoid the conflict escalating into a direct conflict between the United States and Russia, especially because the United States is concerned that Russian President Vladimir Putin may view such an attack as a huge threat and resort to tactical nuclear weapons.
In addition, Washington is also worried that after a large-scale strike against Russia, the CCP may start to aid Russia more actively.
However, the “Washington Post” mentioned that mysterious explosions and drone attacks continue to occur in Russia. Ukrainian officials have often been coy about the incidents, suggesting they were responsible for them rather than directly acknowledging their own credit.
G7 is considering a complete ban on Russia’s exports to Russia
Japan’s Kyodo News last week quoted Japanese government sources as disclosing that the Group of Seven (G7) countries are discussing adjustments to sanctions against Russia, considering a near-total ban on exports to Russia. The current sanctions mean that except for those on the blacklist, other products can generally be sold to Russia.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (Dmitry Medvedev) posted on the communication software Telegram on the 23rd, saying: “The G7 idiots conceived of non-compliance in the hope of completely banning the export of goods to Russia. This is a good idea, because it means that they also get Less than Russian imports, including some of the most sensitive G7 categories.”
Putin’s longtime ally Medwiev is currently the vice chairman of the Russian Security Council and also heads a government committee responsible for the production of military supplies for the war against Ukraine. “In that case, the grain deal and a lot of things that they need will be over as well,” he said.
Russia has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Agreement, which is the only important diplomatic breakthrough since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Ukraine’s grain exports currently depend on this agreement, which was previously extended and is scheduled to expire on May 18.
Lu Shaye ate the honest bean paste buns, “spreading wild” wild words ignited the anger of Europe
Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye was interviewed by the French LCI News Channel on the 21st. When the host asked whether Crimea belonged to Ukraine, he said, “Not necessarily, it depends on how we look at these issues…it’s not that simple”; he also said , “These ex-Soviet states have no valid status under international law because there is no international agreement to concretize their sovereign state status”.
This statement not only questions the existence of Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February last year, but also the existence of 14 countries including all the former Soviet Union republics that became independent countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, including many European Union (EU) member states, immediately detonating the European Union. Multinational anger.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak condemned Lu Shaye’s comments as “absurd” on the 23rd. He said that the status of the former Soviet Union countries is “enshrined in international law”, and “it is strange to hear a representative of a country (referring to China) that carefully views its millennium-year history say a ridiculous version of the “History of Crimea”.
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and other three Baltic countries issued a statement on the 22nd, stating that “the remarks made by the Chinese ambassador to France concerning international law and national sovereignty are completely unacceptable.” The three countries also summoned Chinese representatives on the 24th and demanded an explanation for Lu Shaye’s remarks.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that Chinese diplomats would be asked to explain “whether China’s position on independence (of the post-Soviet states) has changed, and to remind them that we are not a former Soviet country, but a former Soviet country.” countries illegally occupied by the Soviet Union”.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna tweeted that Lu Shaye had misunderstood history, stating that the Baltic states had been sovereign since 1918 under international law, but were later occupied by the Soviet Union for 50 years.
Lance Burgess also retweeted Latvia’s foreign minister’s tweet, saying “why the Baltics don’t trust China to ‘bring peace to Ukraine’ as the Chinese ambassador argues that Crimea is Russia’s border with our country There is no legal basis.”
Not only that, when he heard the French TV host mention that “millions of people in China died because of Mao Zedong”, Lu Shaye even lost control on the spot and asked if the other party had ever studied? The host further asked: “Shouldn’t the Taiwanese decide their own destiny?” Lu Shaye said: “It is the Chinese who decide the destiny of Taiwan.”
Regarding Lu Shaye’s statement that “the Chinese determine the fate of Taiwan”, the vast majority of netizens refuted and left messages supporting Taiwan: “No, it is the Taiwanese who decide”, “The terrible CCP dictatorship”, “This person shows the danger of the CCP sex”, “Only the people of Taiwan have the right to determine their own future”, “Taiwan independence will never fall into the hands of the CCP”.
Lu Shaye also threatened in August last year regarding former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan that if Taiwan is unified in the future, the people of Taiwan will be “re-educated”, which caused international outcry and criticism.
Lu Shaye’s remarks aroused dissatisfaction in the EU and French political circles. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell tweeted on the 24th that Lu Shaye’s remarks were “unacceptable”. The EU can only assume that these do not represent China’s official policies and hope for an explanation.
“This is totally unacceptable. We condemn such a statement and I hope that the ambassador’s bosses will settle this matter,” Czech Foreign Minister Lipavski said.
Nearly 80 European MPs published an open letter on the French newspaper Le Monde on the 23rd, saying that Lu Shaye’s radical remarks seriously insulted the history, culture and integrity of the countries concerned, and clearly violated international law. Threats to the security of partner countries.
The open letter emphasizes that “neither China nor any other country has the right to question the sovereignty of other countries. Sovereignty is not a diplomatic toy, but an essential element of international relations, international law and the Charter of the United Nations”.
The open letter described Lu Shaye’s remarks as the worst “wolf warrior” behavior, which completely exceeded the acceptable range of diplomatic rhetoric. Especially as Russia’s aggression against Ukraine plunges Europe into flames, the democratic world must stand firm in defending its allies’ sovereignty.
The MEPs called on French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna not to keep quiet about this “brazen attack”, but to deport Lu Shaye as “persona non grata”.
58-year-old Lu Shaye has brought the CCP’s “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy” into full play. In 2019, he was almost expelled from the country while serving as the ambassador to Canada, because at that time Huawei’s deputy director Meng Wanzhou was arrested and Lu Shaye criticized Canada. The government is arrogant and white supremacist in Western countries.
On the 23rd, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “shock” at Lu Shaye’s remarks and stressed that Beijing must clarify whether this reflects the position of the Chinese government.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that it “fully supports” all affected allies, which gained independence after “decades of oppression”, “with regard to Ukraine, after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, all countries, including China, Recognize that the territory of Ukraine, a new member of the United Nations, covers Crimea. According to international law, Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 was illegal, and the “United Nations Charter” based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity has expressly stipulated that member states prohibit the use of take territory by force.”
In Beijing’s attempt to quell the controversy, the official website of the CCP’s embassy in France has quietly removed Lu Shaye’s related articles. On the 24th, the spokesperson of the Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, once again declared the “consistent position.” China respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries, and upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China respects the sovereign status of the republics after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
However, EU Council President Charles Michel tweeted on the 24th that “the EU’s China policy will be on the agenda of the European Council in June.”
Michel noted that EU foreign ministers, led by Porel, would prepare for the discussion.
In this regard, Ding Shufan, an honorary professor at National Chengchi University, told the Freedom Times that Lu Shaye’s remarks should reflect the internal tone set by CCP leader Xi Jinping on certain major issues, and then personnel stationed abroad must follow suit, although some diplomats However, Lu Shaye is a special case. In this case, it will indeed arouse the increasing antipathy towards China in the Western society, and it will become a trend in the future.
Lu Shaye ate the “honest bean paste buns” and leaked the CCP’s internal secrets. Even if the Beijing authorities urgently withdraw the fire, the outside world may find it harder to pay the bill. Not only are they more aware of the CCP’s true position in the Russia-Ukraine war, but Whether China-China relations will deteriorate at an accelerated rate will become the focus of follow-up attention.
Lu Shaye poured cold water on Macron, saying that the White House is also angry with Ma
French President Emmanuel Macron, who caused an uproar due to remarks related to the United States and Taiwan, criticized Lu Shaye on the 24th. “I don’t think it is appropriate for diplomats to use that language.” He also insisted that the borders of these countries “Inviolability”.
Deutsche Welle reported on the 24th that Lu Shaye’s remarks setback Macron’s friendship with China.
The report said that Beijing has always claimed to be neutral and has not condemned Putin’s aggression against Ukraine, but China and Russia said that the two sides have “unlimited friendship”, raising doubts about whether China can play the role of mediator competently. However, Macron hopes that Beijing will act as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war, but Lu Shaye’s remarks have poured a basin of cold water on Macron’s head.
Bloomberg reported on the 24th that Lu Shaye’s remarks weakened Macron’s original talks between his foreign policy adviser Emmanuel Bonne and Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and established a structure for Ukraine and Ukraine. The basis for future negotiations with Russia.
People familiar with the matter said that Macron called on Beijing to mediate in the Russia-Ukraine war without first consulting all EU member states.
People familiar with the thinking of the Biden administration said the White House was angry that Macron had handled the sensitive diplomatic issue without consulting allies.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year prompted relevant European countries to rush to strengthen their defenses. Military spending last year hit a post-Cold War record high and drove global military spending to another record high.
The Swedish think tank “Stockholm International Peace Research Institute” (SIPRI) released an annual report on global military spending on the 24th, pointing out that in 2022, European military spending will see the largest increase in at least 30 years, pushing global military spending to hit a record high for 8 consecutive years, reaching 2.24 trillion. U.S. dollars, accounting for 2.2% of global gross domestic product (GDP).
The top five military expenditures are the United States, China, Russia, India, and Saudi Arabia, accounting for 63% of the world‘s total. China’s military expenditure has increased for 28 consecutive years, reaching US$292 billion. However, Beijing’s military data has always been opaque, and the actual military spending should be higher.
“This is due to the war in Ukraine, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict that has prompted Europe to increase military budgets, and the unresolved and deteriorating relationship between the United States and China,” researcher Nan Tian, one of the study’s authors, told AFP. Raising tensions in East Asia is also key.”
Europe’s military expenditure last year increased by 13% compared with the previous year to 480 billion US dollars, a substantial increase of 1/3 in the past 10 years. “The rare increase is mainly due to Russia and Ukraine, but other European countries have also increased their military budgets,” SIPRI explained.
Military spending in Ukraine alone surged sevenfold, or 640%, to $44 billion, or a third of its gross domestic product. This is the largest annual increase recorded by SIPRI since 1949 and does not include Ukraine’s receipt of billions of dollars in foreign military aid for weapons.
Russia’s military spending will reach US$86.4 billion in 2022, an increase of 9.2% over the previous year. However, SIPRI points out that since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, “these figures are very imprecise” “in view of the growing opacity of the financial authorities”.
“Whether you take the two warring countries into account or not, European military spending is still a lot higher,” Tian said.
The think tank said the figures did not take into account sharply rising inflation, meaning actual military spending could be higher. That’s the biggest annual increase in more than 30 years and in constant dollars it equates to spending back in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell.
After a sharp decline in the 1990s, global military spending began to climb in the 2000s.
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