Ukraine needs deft handling

The political upheaval in Ukraine has turned into an international crisis. The crux of the problem lies in whether Russia recognizes Ukraine's interim government and whether Crimea will secede from Ukraine to become a part of Russia. This is a thorny problem for China's diplomacy, too.

Following the ouster of president Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine has an interim government. This government, however, has three drawbacks. First, it assumed office in a most abnormal way. Second, its capability to control local political entities and the state apparatus is questionable. Third, whether it has the support of the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians is not known; only a free and fair national election can decide that.

It is a thorny issue for China because it too has separatist forces trying to split the country. So before taking a stance on such issues, the Chinese government is conditioned to first review the situation within its borders and adopt a prudent approach.

After the end of the Cold War, the demand for self-determination by people in some countries led to serious consequences. So the crisis in Crimea, if mishandled, will lead to a domino effect on the commonwealth of independent states and could even affect Russia.

The crisis has become a chicken game, fueled by missives (rumors and hearsays) with specific political purposes. Verifying the authenticity of the missives is also a challenge for China's diplomacy.

Russia has been (and still is) the most important factor when it comes to resolving the Ukrainian crisis. Therefore, the international community should listen attentively to Russia's position and get to know Russia's concerns. By stubbornly opposing everything concerning Russia, the Western powers show their Cold War mentality, which is not conducive to resolving the crisis, nor is it in line with the trend of international relations.

Therefore, it is vitally important that the Western powers and Russia do not trigger a military confrontation accidentally, and the international community has to urgently find ways to resolve the crisis through political and diplomatic means. Major powers, such as Russia, the United States and NATO, have to agree on which government represents Ukraine.

Although the root cause of the crisis was Ukrainian people's dissatisfaction with the Yanukovych government, now Russia and the Western powers have to reach an understanding over Ukraine's administrative set-up to restore normalcy in the country.