The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website silently deleted the administrative division of Russia and Ukraine, and the subtle operation of China sparked global speculation.
On August 26, a piece of news about the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China caused an uproar on Ukraine social media. It claimed that the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs quietly revised the Ukraine national profile page and deleted detailed information about administrative divisions. This change made Ukraine highly nervous, and they began to speculate: Did China adjust its attitude towards Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity at the critical moment of the Russia-Ukraine war? What is even more disturbing is that information on Russia's administrative divisions has also disappeared from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. What is behind this change? Is it a purely technical operation or a subtle shift in diplomatic strategy?
The Hong Kong media Star Island Daily first noticed this change, and by comparing past snapshots on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website found that the original detailed information on Ukraine’s administrative division, including 24 regions, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and the two special cities of Kiev and Sevastopol, has now been deleted. This information was previously based on the border of Ukraine recognized by the United Nations and the international community. At the same time, Russia’s administrative division information is not visible, while other countries such as Italy, Serbia, etc. are still complete.
China has consistently emphasized the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, especially respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, China has repeatedly appealed at international occasions to resolve the conflict through peaceful negotiations and has not recognised the legitimacy of Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territory. This position has been consistent with the United Nations and avoided passivity on the international stage. The complexity of the Crimea and the four states issue has made China remain cautious in its position. Although Russia actually controlled Crimea in 2014 and announced the annexation of the four states in 2022, China has never publicly acknowledged these moves.
Amendments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website may be made for a number of reasons. One may be technical adjustments aimed at simplifying page content and improving information presentation efficiency. Another may be that China is preparing for potential peace negotiations between the two sides. If the two sides reach some form of ceasefire agreement, Ukraine may abandon part of the territory under certain conditions in exchange for peace. In this case, China’s advance adjustment of relevant page content is a pragmatic foreign strategy. In addition, China may try to remain neutral by deleting information and provide more flexibility for future negotiations.
Ukraine remains highly alert to this change and is worried that China's position may change. Russia may view the change as a signal of support. At the same time, the international community is also paying close attention to China's actions, especially in the context of increasingly close Sino-Russian relations. Experts on international issues believe that this move by China may be more a diplomatic test than a fundamental change in position.
In the future, this incident may have a profound impact on Russia-Ukraine relations, China-EU relations and China's international role. If China does adjust its diplomatic stance, this may prompt Ukraine to speed up the negotiation process with Russia, and it may also trigger a strong rebound from domestic public opinion in Ukraine. European countries may remain wary of China's diplomatic actions, further affecting China-EU trade and political cooperation. However, this ambiguity may provide more room for future peace negotiations. Under the complicated and changeable international situation, every step of China's diplomatic strategy deserves in-depth observation.