In a furious statement issued after the opening of the de facto embassy, Beijing “demanded that the Lithuanian side immediately correct its wrong decision”.

“The Lithuanian side is responsible for all consequences arising therefrom,” the statement continued, describing it as an “egregious act”.

When asked if the country wanted more concrete support from the EU, he replied “it would be appreciated”, adding: “It’s in all our interests that neither country would suffer if its supply chains are being cut or something like that.”

He suggested that the support could include rearranging supply chains and financing to reduce dependence on China, adding: “We need to figure out the toolbox that any country could use, when it faces this sort of coercion and to give countries more because … the situation Lithuania finds itself in that we have limited manoeuvring space in foreign policy field when it comes to Indo-Pacific.”

Beijing could take Taiwan in minutes but is in no rush to invade, experts say

“China is redrawing, moving their red lines and that really narrows the manoeuvring space. So better cooperation in the economic field between like-minded partners across the globe, could widen this space to manoeuvre,” Landsbergis said.

He said Lithuania was “not violating anything that we have agreed on” by allowing the opening of a Taiwanese Representative Office’, adding that he was “proud” to have forced a debate on Taiwan in Brussels.

“I’m glad that we’re having it now because it’s high time that we had this [debate], it needs to be looked at,” he added.

Other European outposts are branded “Taipei Representative Office”, and China has claimed that the use of the word “Taiwan” is in breach of the EU’s one China Policy, a charge which Brussels and Vilnius strenuously deny.

Vilnius has also been pushing for a revision to the format of EU summits with China.

02:17

‘One China’ explained

‘One China’ explained

Landsbergis said that such a format would be “a step in the right direction”, adding: “This is moving ahead. It takes time obviously because that’s quite a big change. But I see some good developments there, and I’m quite happy that we’ve been a part of the discussion, offering the format, offering ideas and then seeing it probably through.”

Lithuania will use the forum to air “grievances about economic coercion”, to call for a “level-playing field between China and the EU, where we could be able to talk about investment but also talk about human rights”. Participants should be able to raise “taboo issues”, he said.

EU shelves Taiwan trade upgrade amid balancing act on China

Landsbergis was speaking ahead of the Forum for the Future of Democracy, hosted in Vilnius by the Foreign Ministry, with speakers from the US and other EU governments.

While China will feature, the border crisis with Belarus will be top of the agenda. Vilnius and Brussels have accused Belarus and its backer Russia of engaging in “hybrid warfare” by creating a migrant crisis on its border with Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.

Landsbergis said the former Soviet republic’s history has made it more sensitive to the challenges of authoritarian regimes across the world, including in China.

“We are a nation that still very well understands and remembers what it is to be under occupation, and the struggle of getting free and getting out and rebuilding your country, basically from democratic ruin.

“Even the young politicians who are now part of our current parliament, were still of a generation that lived a small portion of their lives under occupation. So it is very well felt and very well understood what it means to be coerced, be pressured, and to try to defend your liberty.”