Lithuania to recall China ambassador over Taiwan office name row
- Source says diplomatic spat with its most vocal EU critic gives Beijing a chance to send a signal to others in the 17+1 group thinking of following suit
- Vilnius also feels further punishment may be in store, but is unlikely to change course
Lithuania will recall its ambassador to China “as soon as her quarantine is over”, with the envoy having recently travelled back to Beijing, according to a source familiar with the plans of the government in Vilnius.
The source confirmed that Lithuania will do so “in keeping with the etiquette, which has been impeded by the fact that she is in quarantine”. Ambassador Diana Mickeviciene is thought to have begun her period of quarantine on the morning of Tuesday, just before Beijing demanded she be recalled.
02:17
‘One China’ explained
The diplomatic row marks the latest escalation in tensions between China and Lithuania, which has fast become Beijing’s most vocal critic in the European Union.
The thinking in Vilnius is that withdrawing from the group “put Beijing in a bit of a bind” because “if you lash out at someone withdrawing from what is allegedly a forum of equals”, then membership could be seen to be involuntary.
In that sense, the source said that the punishment was “overdue” and that further action from Beijing is expected in the Lithuanian capital, with the decision to withdraw the ambassador seen as “relatively mild” punishment.
China slams Lithuania’s plan for a trade office in Taiwan
“Fundamentally, this is a bilateral matter between China and Lithuania. Having said that, the development of China’s bilateral relations with individual EU member states inevitably have an impact on overall EU-China relations,” said Nabila Massrali, an EU spokeswoman.
“We do not regard the opening of a representative office in or from Taiwan (as opposed to an embassy or consulate) as a breach of the EU’s one-China policy. This is the first time China has recalled an ambassador in an EU member state for opening or maintaining an office in Taiwan,” she added.
Meanwhile, Chinese state media continued to publish stories threatening further retribution against Lithuania.
“It does not take rocket science to see through Lithuania’s perilous calculations: to show its loyalty to a Washington that is increasingly anti-China,” read an editorial on the official Xinhua News Agency website on Wednesday.
“However, decision-makers in Vilnius should not expect to be rewarded for their provocations. Rather, they will ultimately pay for their recklessness,” it continued.
06:33
G7, Nato rhetoric mark ‘seismic shift’ between China and the West
In a statement posted on the Chinese foreign ministry’s website on Wednesday, spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: “Lithuania’s decision to allow the Taiwan authorities to open a ‘representative office’ under the name of ‘Taiwan’ has seriously infringed upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and severely contravened the one-China principle.”
“Once again, we urge the Lithuanian side not to misjudge China’s firm resolve and strong will to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity, earnestly honour its commitment to the one-China principle, and create conditions for the sound and steady development of China-Lithuania relations,” she added.
But it is unlikely that Lithuania will change course on China. Instead, it sees its actions as a way to “further enmesh Taiwan in the network of international relations to make any future attack on it less likely”.
Additional reporting by Kinling Lo
