China downgrades ties with Lithuania after Taiwan opens de facto embassy
- Beijing says Vilnius’ decision to allow the island to open the representative office sets egregious precedent
- Presence of Taiwan office openly creates the false impression of ‘one China, one Taiwan’ in the world, foreign ministry says
Other Taiwan representative offices in Europe and the US have only used “Taipei” to avoid reference to the island as a whole, which China claims as its own territory.
Taiwan opens de facto embassy in Lithuania, despite angry reaction earlier from Beijing
“This act openly creates the false impression of ‘one China, one Taiwan’ in the world, renounces the political commitment made by Lithuania in the communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs,” the ministry said.
“We urge the Lithuanian side to immediately put right its mistake and not to underestimate the Chinese people’s strong resolve, will and ability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Lithuania said it “regrets” China’s decision to downgrade relations.
“Lithuania reaffirms its adherence to the one-China policy, but at the same time has the right to expand cooperation with Taiwan”, including establishing non-diplomatic missions, its foreign ministry said.
03:55
Chinese President, Xi Jinping says peaceful reunification with Taiwan ‘must be realised’
The downgrade is the latest in a series of diplomatic tensions between China and Lithuania.
China recalled its envoy in Vilnius in August and demanded Lithuania withdraw its ambassador to Beijing over the island’s plans to open the office.
China has also been angered by Lithuania’s decision to open its own representative office in Taiwan early next year.
Wang Yiwei, a European affairs specialist at Renmin University in Beijing, said the downgrade was a warning to other European countries considering deeper ties with Taiwan.
“China has been escalating its response in accordance to the situation. Downgrading the level to charge d’affaires is a very rare move,” Wang said.
“Lithuania is trying to take advantage of the timing ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
“We are also seeing worrying signs in relations with other central and eastern European states such as the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary.”
Taiwanese foreign minister Joseph Wu adds Slovakia visit to European trip
Taiwan has 15 diplomatic allies, and only one of them, the Vatican, is in Europe.
In recent years, Beijing has sought to squeeze the island’s international space, wooing some diplomatic allies and encouraging others to limit their interactions with Taiwan.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said the opening of the office would “charter a new and promising course” for ties between the island and Lithuania. But Beijing warned that Taiwan’s attempts to seek international support would only be “a dead end”.
“We also have this stern warning for the Taiwan authorities: Taiwan will never be a country,” the foreign ministry in Beijing said.
“No matter how ‘Taiwan independence’ forces try to misrepresent facts and confound black and white, the historical fact that the mainland and Taiwan belong to one and the same China cannot be changed.
“Attempts to seek foreign support for political manipulation will prove a dead end.”
