As I see itChina envoy’s post-Soviet sovereignty faux pas shows why there’s no ‘freedom of speech’ in diplomacy
- Lu Shaye, China’s ambassador to France, defended his comments on the status of post-Soviet states by stressing the importance of ‘freedom of speech’
- But in a time of high geopolitical tension, is it wise for diplomats to contradict their governments’ official positions with personal opinions?
But the wisdom of doing so at a time of high geopolitical tensions, when the words of the powerful are being scrutinised like never before, is open for debate.
Lu Shaye’s assertion also raised an important question: should diplomats be allowed to openly state their personal opinion if by doing so they seemingly contradict their governments’ official position?
I posed this question to three diplomats – two from Asia, one from Europe – and their answers were almost the same. All three asked for their names to be withheld.
They told me that diplomats can of course share their personal views in private with friends, family members and whoever else they wished. But openly airing opinions that are inconsistent with the government’s official line is not allowed.