Taiwanese firm buys Lithuanian rum destined for mainland China amid diplomatic row

TTL, a liquor company fully owned by the island’s finance ministry, says it stepped in after being told the shipment was about to be rejected by Chinese customs

Vilnius has accused Beijing of blocking imports of its products in an escalating dispute over Taipei’s new representative office in the Baltic nation

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Taiwanese liquor firm TTL says it stepped in to buy the rum on December 18 to stop the shipment from becoming stranded at sea. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:00am, 4 Jan 2022

A Taiwanese government-owned liquor firm said it stepped in to buy a shipment of Lithuanian rum that had been bound for mainland China, after being told it was about to be blocked by Chinese customs.

In a statement on Monday, Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor, or TTL, said it bought the 20,400 bottles of dark rum made by MV Group Production in December in an effort to support Lithuania.

It comes amid an escalating diplomatic row between China and Lithuania over the Baltic nation’s decision to allow Taipei to open a representative office in its capital, Vilnius, in November – a move that enraged Beijing. The de facto embassy uses the name Taiwan, a departure from the usual practice of using the name Taipei to avoid referencing the self-ruled island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

Taipei opened a de facto embassy in Vilnius in November in a move that has infuriated Beijing. Photo: EPA-EFE

Since then, China has downgraded its embassy in Lithuania to a charge d’affaires office and demanded Vilnius do the same for its Beijing embassy, prompting Lithuanian envoys to leave the Chinese capital for fear of losing their diplomatic immunity.

Lithuania has also accused Beijing of blocking imports of its products, and Vilnius announced an aid package worth €130 million (US$147.8 million) to help businesses affected by the dispute. Beijing has denied that Lithuanian goods are not being cleared by customs and said European Union officials’ remarks suggesting this was the case were “irresponsible”.

TTL, which is fully owned by Taiwan’s finance ministry, said it bought the rum on December 18 – 11 days before it was due to reach a mainland Chinese port – to stop the shipment from becoming stranded at sea.

“TTL stood up at the right time, purchased the rum and brought it to Taiwan,” the statement said. “Once the ship arrives at the port early this year, we will apply Chinese labels [to the bottles] and put them on the market. Lithuania supports us and we support Lithuania – TTL calls for a toast to that.”

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