I refer to your analyst Daniel Bochkov’s article “As Armenia and Azerbaijan clash, where will China stand?” (October 3).

Mr Bochkov believes that China will be neutral in the escalating Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over the long-disputed Karabakh region solely because of economic interest in the Caucasus. I strongly hope China will not remain neutral.

The dispute between the two Caucasian countries goes back four decades. In the 1980s, when the Soviet Union was collapsing, nationalists in Armenia sought to expand its territory by encroaching on Azerbaijan’s. The puppet regime of the self-proclaimed “republic of Nagorno-Karabakh” can be compared to the pro-Japanese Manchukuo in northeast China from 1931-1945. After the Karabakh war in the 1990s, Armenia occupied at least 20 per cent of Azerbaijan’s territory and displaced 1 million innocent citizens from their homeland.

Supporting Azerbaijan is supporting justice. Given the historical background, China must show solidarity with Azerbaijan and condemn Armenia’s action, for two reasons.

First, as a widely recognised global power and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China should maintain international law , especially since it knows the pain of foreign invasion. If China now neglects its duty simply because of economic reasons, that would hurt its reputation.

By supporting Azerbaijan, China can show that territorial integrity is the red line for all countries, which is in line with the principle of its Anti-Secession Law.

Chinese people treasure peace, like ordinary citizens in the South Caucasus nations, and are committed to developing a more prosperous economy together. However, we also know that peace cannot exist if we ignore justice.

Therefore, China must fulfil its duty to maintain international law as a responsible member of the global community.

Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author

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