According to news from the Kazakhstan International News Agency on June 17, Kazakhstan President Tokayev pointed out during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum : If this right to self-determination is allowed, then the earth will not be 193 countries, but there are 500 to 600 countries. This is why we do not recognize Taiwan, Kosovo, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and the same is true for Lugansk and Donetsk. He further said: The basis of the current international order is the United Nations Charter . However, the two major principles of the United Nations are actually contradictory to each other, namely, national integrity and the right of national self-determination. These principles are contradictory and open to different interpretations. Some people believe that the integrity of the country is sacrosanct, while others believe that a certain part of the people within any country has the right to establish its own country and the right to secede from a country.
His words can be seen as being said in front of Putin . According to ordinary people's thinking, Putin has just helped Kazakhstan quell the riots. Isn't Tokayev's remarks criticizing Putin? Will Putin be embarrassed? In fact, I think he was speaking from a fair standpoint and was speaking about the situation rather than the person. Putin will not mind, because he understands that if the principle of "national integrity is sacrosanct" is followed, the Soviet Union should not disintegrate, and Russia's military action against Ukraine can be regarded as an act of partially restoring Soviet territory. If the principle of "national self-determination" is followed, then there is no problem with Putin's actions in Donetsk and Luhansk.
In fact, it is commendable that Tokayev understood these truths after his country suffered a "color revolution" and pointed out the contradictions in the expressions of the United Nations Charter. This is also consistent with China's position. China still does not recognize the independence of Kosovo, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia, and certainly does not recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk. Including Crimea , China does not recognize that it belongs to Russia. But why doesn't China condemn Russia's aggression Ukraine ? Because Russia's special military operations have their own merits and historical merits. In other words, none of this would have happened if Ukraine had not acted as a thug for the United States to contain Russia. The United States' use of Ukraine to implement NATO's eastward expansion to oppress Russia's safe space is the source of the problem. Russia adopts the method of "treating others as they are treated". Since the United States can split Yugoslavia , why can't Russia split Ukraine? If the international community wants to settle the general ledger, it must start with the United States. If the United Nations can restore Yugoslavia to its original state, Russia can restore Ukraine to its original state. Has the United States not stopped Syria ? How come the United Nations doesn’t see it and doesn’t interfere? This world cannot tolerate double standards. It is in this sense that China cannot condemn Russia without asking the historical merits and merits. China's position is very fair. China remains neutral between Russia and Ukraine. China clearly opposes hegemony between the United States and Russia! China sympathizes with the suffering of the Ukrainian people in the war, the suffering of the Russian people in the sanctions, and even the suffering of the European people in the counter-sanctions.
China has always insisted on the sanctity and inviolability of its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It has never changed because it is the cornerstone of global stability. China strictly abides by this principle. New China has never invaded or dismembered any country by force. Even if there are border and territorial disputes caused by historical issues, we insist on resolving the issues through negotiation. Only when the other party takes the initiative to provoke armed disputes, China will make limited counterattacks. Each time, China will take the initiative to withdraw its troops until the purpose of punishment is achieved. It never interferes with internal independence incidents in other countries and only supports colonial countries in their struggle to break away from colonial rule. For example, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland have been fighting for independence for many years. China has never said a word about it. However, the British government has followed the US government in frequently meddling in the Taiwan issue, frequently slandering human rights in Xinjiang, and trying to create unrest in Hong Kong.
China does not recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk declared by Russia. Is Putin very angry? No. He understands China's policies very well and China must adhere to its own principles. China-Russia relations are on good terms, but their respective foreign policies are independent and will not change due to the other. Russia is a major Eurasian country, but its cultural traditions originate from Europe. The Orthodox Church believed in by the Russian nation is a branch of Christianity, and Russia is also one of the "great powers" in modern history. Therefore, Putin adheres to the same logic as Western countries. Russia's way of dealing with Western forces led by the United States is to retaliate in kind.
China and Russia both face common interests and demands such as the country must develop, the people's living standards must improve, and national security must be guaranteed. The hegemony of the United States does not allow China and Russia to develop further, and does not allow the Chinese and Russian people to live a good life. It only wants its own absolute security and ignores the security demands of China and Russia. The United States is worried that if countries like China and Russia develop, the United States will not be able to plunder other countries at will, and its hegemony will not be guaranteed. Therefore, the United States must suppress both Russia and China. In this way, opposing hegemonism has become the common aspiration of China and Russia, and China and Russia have come together. China and Russia have formed a comprehensive strategic partnership, not because of political systems or values, but because they share common interests. This is why China and Russia do not form an alliance, but only form partnerships.
In the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, China divided the problem into two levels. At a low level, it is a conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine has acted against Russia's interests, and Russia has also acted against Ukraine's interests. China adopts a neutral attitude and sympathizes with both the Ukrainian and Russian people. Therefore, China insists on promoting peace and talks. At a high level, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is essentially a conflict between Russia and the United States, and Ukraine is an agent of the United States. The United States practices hegemonism and has four crimes. The first is activating the dead NATO and continuously expanding eastward to oppress Russia's safe space. This is actually the hegemonic expansion of the United States; the second is using Ukraine as consumables. , using the blood of the Ukrainian people to pave the way for the expansion of U.S. hegemony; the third case is an excuse to sanction Russia, bringing disaster to the Russian people; the fourth case is toying with Europe, and the European people bear the backlash caused by sanctions against Russia. Therefore, China opposes hegemonism and cannot accuse Russia from the standpoint of American hegemony.
It is China that views issues from a high level, so China will still fulfill its obligations stipulated in the Sino-Russian Joint Statement and continue to cooperate with Russia in economic and trade and other aspects. China does not mind the attacks and slanders against China by the United States and its allies, and has rightly ordered the Western forces led by the United States not to harm China's interests under the pretext of the Russia-Ukraine conflict!
Of course, the world is complicated. A country is often composed of multiple ethnic groups. If the national governing authorities fail to handle ethnic conflicts well, ethnic divisions are inevitable. China's position is very clear, respecting the choice of the people of the host country. We do not support secession, but if it is an internal choice within this country, China will not interfere. China is a multi-ethnic country, consisting of fifty-six ethnic groups. Since China pursues an equal ethnic policy, all ethnic groups live with dignity in the big family of the Chinese nation, and there is no problem of division. China's " Taiwan issue " is a legacy of China's liberation war, not an issue of national division. It is precisely because of the forced intervention of the United States that today's so-called "Taiwan issue" was created. Without U.S. intervention, Taiwan independence elements would not have gained power, and the Taiwan issue would have been resolved long ago. The reason why the Chinese People's Liberation Army is still called the People's Liberation Army is because the Taiwan issue has not been resolved and the Chinese people's task of liberating Taiwan has not been achieved. Recently, Russia has made a cautious statement, saying that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affair and cannot be negotiated. This is firm support for China.
Therefore, Tokayev’s relevant remarks are public-minded and correct. Putin will not be unhappy about this, and China also strongly agrees with Tokayev's statement. The United Nations should discuss and revise this contradictory statement in the United Nations Charter.
Note: The author of this article is Mou Lin, a core member of the "Qin'an Strategic Think Tank", and is an original work for this platform. In the new year, I wish everyone can join hands to defeat the epidemic, curb hegemony, and move towards a better future together.
