After 96.6 percent of Crimeans voted to join Russia in a referendum Sunday, China has called for the de-escalation of tensions in the area.
While Crimeans waited to celebrate the results of the referendum that would "direct them home", western countries called the referendum "illegal" and "contrary to Ukrainian Constitution", with German Chancellor Angela Merkal warning that Europe could inflict "massive economic and political damage" if the situation worsened. This statement was echoed by the US, France and Britain, with British foreign secretary William Hague arguing at the meeting for today's EU Foreign Ministers that "nothing in the way that the referendum has been conducted should convince anyone that it is a legitimate exercise".
However, in a telephone call between Angela Merkal, US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin, "Putin said the Crimean population's vote is proceeding in full compliance with international law, in particular with Article 1 of the UN Charter that stipulates the principle of equality and self-determination of peoples," according to the Kremlin website.
Meanwhile, "Moscow on Saturday vetoed a United Nations (UN) Security Council draft resolution while China abstained. The resolution, drawn up by the United States and backed by Western countries, called on international organizations to ignore results of Sunday's voting in Crimea", according to CNS.
Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, told the Security Council after the vote that "China holds an objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue,"
"The vote on the draft resolution by the Security Council at this juncture will only result in confrontation and further complicate the situation, which is not in conformity with the common interest of both the people of the Ukraine and those of the international community," said Liu.
[Image via NBC]
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