FRANCE 24 spoke to Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France. He insisted Beijing was prioritising "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, but said the Chinese authorities had "not ruled out the use of force" – not with the intention of targeting "the people of Taiwan", but rather to dissuade "separatists in Taiwan" and certain "foreign forces". The Chinese diplomat also said he was "sure" there would be no mass surge in Covid-19 cases during the Winter Olympics, which open in Beijing on February 4.
Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France, told FRANCE 24 that all "preventative measures" have been taken to ensure that the Winter Olympics take place in the best possible health conditions. Although he admitted there was a slight uptick in Covid-19 cases in China, Lu said the situation was "under control" and predicted that "there will not be a large epidemic of Covid-19 in Beijing during the Games".
Asked about the possibility of a lockdown of the Chinese capital in the event of an outbreak, like the one recently imposed on the city of Xi'an, the Chinese ambassador replied that "it depends" on the epidemiological situation, stressing that only one case of the Omicron variant had been detected in Beijing so far. Lu also minimised the scope of the diplomatic boycott decided by the US and several of its allies, saying that the Olympics were organised for athletes and not for "politicians".
Lithuania's 'mistake'
Turning to Taiwan, Lu described the island's authorities as "separatists" and accused them of multiplying provocations. He warned that in response, Beijing would take all "relevant" reunification measures, adding that it had "not ruled out the use of force". Lu also castigated the US, which, in his view, was encouraging the Taiwanese authorities to take pro-independence positions.
Asked about the opening of a "Taiwanese Representative Office" in Lithuania, which has caused a severe diplomatic crisis between Vilnius and Beijing, Lu said the move "goes against" the policy of the EU, which observes the "one China" principle. He said he hoped the Lithuanian government would correct its "mistake". Finally, the Chinese diplomat warned that China would firmly oppose any trade negotiations between the EU and Taiwan, or indeed any Taiwanese action that would "undermine" relations between China and the EU.
