Now, Russia faces China's ire over Vladivostok founding day celebrations
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The backlash comes as China faces renewed protests in Hong Kong after it implemented the national security law leading to large scale protests in the city
Russia and China got into a diplomatic spat after the Russian embassy officials posted a video on China's Weibo of a party to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the founding of Vladivostok.
Chinese officials including Internet users leapt on the video and slammed Russia asserting that Vladivostok used to be part of China which was apparently Qing’s Manchurian homeland but was annexed during the Tsar era in 1860 after China's defeat in the second opium war.
This “tweet” of #Russian embassy to #China isn’t so welcome on Weibo
— Shen Shiwei沈诗伟 (@shen_shiwei) July 2, 2020
“The history of Vladivostok (literally 'Ruler of the East') is from 1860 when Russia built a military harbor.” But the city was Haishenwai as Chinese land, before Russia annexed it via unequal Treaty of Beijing. pic.twitter.com/ZmEWwOoDaA
The backlash comes as China faces renewed protests in Hong Kong after it implemented the national security law leading to large scale protests in the city.
Hong Kong activist Nathan Law fled the city to an undisclosed country as several protesters were arrested. UK and Australia had earlier moved to offer Hong Kongers to stay in their country as China implemented the security law.
UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab said Britain had a duty to care of residents of a colony it handed back to China in 1997 as China threatned countermeasures.
In the United States, Senators moved a proposal giving Hong Kong protesters fast-track to refugee status, a move which was criticised by China.
Amid the protests, China appointed Zheng Yanxiong, 56, to head the controversial national security agency. Yanxiong's office will monitor intelligence related to national security and in some cases he could hand Hong Kong citizens to mainland authorities.
China has also been involved in border clashes at Galwan Valley along the Line of Control(LAC) with Indian soldiers for several weeks.
Twenty Indian soldiers were killed on June 15-16 at Galwan during a clash with Chinese troops, although China hasn't revealed its casualty figures, however, state-run Global Times had said PLA had suffered casualties during the clash.