"Why not": Chinese Ambassador to the EU supports Ukraine's return to 1991 borders

China's representative to the European Union, Fu Cong, has suggested that Beijing may support Ukraine's goal of restoring its 1991 territorial integrity, which includes returning Crimea to Ukraine.

Source. The ambassador said this in an interview with Al Jazeera.

When Fu Cong was asked about supporting Kyiv's goals, which include the return of Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions, the senior Chinese diplomat said: "I see no reason why not."

"We respect the territorial integrity of all countries. So, when China established relations with the former Soviet Union, we agreed on this. But, as I said, these are historical issues that should be discussed and resolved by Russia and Ukraine, and that's what we stand for," he added.

The ambassador's comments came after the Europe-China business summit held in Brussels on June 16. In the spring, Fu told the New York Times that Beijing does not recognize Russia's attempts to annex Ukrainian territories, including Crimea and Donbas. The diplomat also emphasized that China has not and will not provide military assistance to Moscow.

At the same time, Fu noted that Beijing did not condemn the invasion of Ukraine because it understands Russia's position, which explains the conflict as a need to protect itself from NATO encroachment. The Chinese leadership believes that "the root causes of the crisis are more complex" than Western leaders claim, the diplomat explained.

Background. As a reminder, on the anniversary of the Russian invasion, China presented its plan aimed at achieving peace. The 12-point document calls for respect for sovereignty, a ceasefire, and the resumption of negotiations, but does not contain specific steps, including no provision for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.