Click to see full-size image
Beijing and Moscow react strongly against Schmidt’s appointment.
Written by Paul Antonopoulos, independent geopolitical analyst
The Chinese Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) officially confirmed that Beijing does not accept the legitimacy of Christian Schmidt as the new High Representative in BiH. The move by China is not a surprise, especially if we consider that the Russian Ambassador to BiH, Igor Kalbukhov, recently stated that Moscow does not recognize the legality of Schmidt’s appointment. Kalbukhov also said that he does not intend to cooperate with Schmidt.
As the UN Security Council did not formally agree with the candidacy of Schmidt, a German diplomat and former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Russia and China proposed a draft resolution in July that would enable his eventual appointment as High Representative and confirm his legitimacy. However, some members of the Security Council did not accept the draft resolution, hence why Beijing and Moscow are now reacting strongly against Schmidt’s appointment.
The Chinese reaction could be the first time they have loudly opposed violations of UN Security Council rules. Beijing and Moscow are taking a principled position on violations against the proper functioning of the UN Security Council and the non-legal appointment of the High Representative.
The Chinese Embassy’s rejection of Schmidt comes at a time when the situation within BiH itself, and especially in its relations with China, the U.S. and the European Union, is becoming more complicated. BiH, created with the Dayton Agreement following the end of the Bosnian War in 1995, is struggling to function as Croats and Serbs demand more autonomy from the federal authorities in Sarajevo. However, the world today is far different from 1995.
The Biden administration strongly insists on renewing allied relations with the EU, as well as other partners such as India, Japan and Australia, to curb China’s growing international diplomatic, economic and political influence. Not only has President Joe Biden strengthened pressure against China, but the EU has also come under great pressure to harmonize with Washington regarding their attitude towards Beijing.
EU officials and diplomats are increasingly criticizing China due to supposed human rights violations in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang. More naval forces from EU member states are sending their warships to pass or patrol the South China Sea. Beijing’s way of thinking is now changing too as a result. The EU continually criticizes China’s internal affairs and its relations with its neighbors, but it now appears that Beijing is beginning to react too, something it has not traditionally done in a serious manner – unlike Russia.
The truth is though, as much as the U.S. wants to pressure and/or denigrate China as much as it can when it has opportunities to do so, the High Representative in BiH is still something that concerns the EU more so than the U.S. Despite this, Washington will still likely support its EU partners in limiting Chinese and Russian initiatives in the UN Security Council.
The complaint against Schmidt is to show Brussels that China, as a major global power that is significantly increasing influence around the world, is becoming more involved in issues that are geographically far from it. China’s message against the EU comes on the eve of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s resignation, but also next year’s elections in France and Hungary. It is expected that the EU, with potentially new authorities in the aforementioned countries, could have a significantly different and far less autonomous policy towards China than the one now led by many European leaders, like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
While relations between Beijing, Brussels and Washington are becoming more complicated, China is expanding and deepening its relations with Russia. Apart from military and economic cooperation, it seems that China and Russia are increasingly harmonizing their foreign policies, including against the appointment of Schmidt.
The truth is that while BiH is still not a major issue for China like that of the South China Sea or Taiwan, the appointment of Schmidt without the approval of the UN Security Council has become a matter of principle, especially if a precedent is set that things can be done without proper formalities and processes – just as the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 without UN Security Council approval.
Beijing’s refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the new High Representative in BiH can be seen in the context of the fact that the BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sarajevo supported a resolution by the UN Commission on Human Rights regarding Xinjiang. The Serbian member of the BiH presidency, Milorad Dodik, reacted sharply, saying that the Ministry did not receive any approval from the BiH presidency for such a move.
This again demonstrates the significant issues in BiH. The presidency is a three-member body comprising of a Serb, a Croat and a Bosnian Muslim, all often with competing interests for their own communities. Dodik supports the Serbs of Bosnia being integrated closer with Serbia, which is also one of the most China-friendly countries in Europe, hence his reaction to criticisms of the Asian country by the BiH Foreign Ministry.
Dodik’s condemnation was met with approval in Beijing. Therefore, by China lambasting the new High Representative to BiH, they are actively defending their Serbian partners, whether it be the Republic of Serbia or the Serbian community in Bosnia. The challenge however is that the Croatian community in BiH, generally speaking, want closer integration with Croatia, whilst Bosnian Muslims remain completely aligned with Washington and Brussels.
Although Schmidt was assigned as High Representative to BiH without proper protocols, his mandate will prove difficult as the former Yugoslav country continues on its path towards disintegration as Croats and Serbs strongly demand union with their mother countries, or greater autonomy from Sarajevo. Washington, Brussels and Sarajevo are unwilling to capitulate on this point, but it is not tenable to expect BiH to be a functioning modern country if it remains archaic and ignores the will of most citizens, a status quo that Schmidt will undoubtedly support.
This ‘analysis’ is written by someone who is playing blind. Who attacked who? Did Bosnia attacked Serbia, did all that genocides and all monstrosities? Nope. Nor Croatia. Both countries were convicted of War crimes against Bosnians and of agression and invasion of Bosnia.
You Greeks have awkward brains. You got problem with your selves. Everyone knows the truth except you, perhaps.
Who said he is Greek? He could be an American of four generations with a Greek surname.
Invasion? There is no invasions in civil wars you dummy.
Oh really? Is that what you think? Check out Icc sentence on Serbia and its own forces on Bosnian soil. Was it also in say Slovenia? Oh, give me a break, you Zionistic creation.
Croatians have certainly been formally prosecuted for their actions against Serbian civilians: Judges in The Hague found Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač guilty on eight of nine counts for commanding operations that included the shelling of civilians, the torching of Serbian homes in south-west Croatia, the murder of hundreds of elderly Serbs and the forced exodus of at least 20,000 from the Serbian minority rooted in the Dalmatian hinterland for centuries. But mostly, Croatian generals have been sheltered by EU from ICJ prosecution, but in these cases the evidence was so obvious they couldn’t ignore them without ruining the institution’s reputation. Incidentally, the IJC issued a posthumous exhortation for all the charges they leveled against Slobodan Milosevic. Milosevic defended himself against the upper tier of UE lawyers and actually won – it is quite remarkable. But, of course, when the ICJ realized Milosevic was not going to be convicted, after demonizing him for a decade, he abruptly developed serious health problems, and died from cancer whilst in incarceration, where his entire environment was entirely controlled.
More like 500.000.
Yes very true. My comment refers only to the numbers stated in formal indictments and charges as brought against these two particular individuals.
Nesha is right, you know. Tudman chauvinistic government played both Serbianes and Bosnians.
He was about to go icc. He was just little Zio prick. All Wahhabis that come to Bosnia around-95, come from that country.
Antonopulos, you kinda pretend that you don’t know the facts? Is this so? Well, fück you, buddy! Be gone with you.
Are you that soulless person, or what is your problem, punk? Save that nonsence crap on Bosnia for somewhere else.
The punk who wrote this bs article have false name. He’s not the one that pretends to be. So, keep that in mind.
Very good analysis, and this is the first time the powers of the East are refusing to let West do what they want in Bosnia. Interesting times in front of us
This analysis is for and by a bot.