Lithuania defies Beijing’s anger and names new envoy to Taiwan
- Authorities in Taipei welcome the appointment of Paulius Lukauskas and say the two sides will work to cooperate more closely
- Beijing has accused Lithuania of breaching its sovereignty and undermining the one-China principle by exchanging representatives with the island
Paulius Lukauskas, an adviser to Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, has been appointed as the country’s first representative to Taiwan, according to the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation. He is expected to arrive in Taipei next month to open the office.
‘Two sessions’ 2022: Beijing urges EU not to amplify China-Lithuania spat
Beijing considers Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to bring it under its control – by force if necessary. Lithuania, in common with most countries, does not officially recognise Taiwan as an independent state, and Beijing regards its decision last year to swap representative offices with the island as a serious violation of its sovereignty.
“We look forward to closely cooperating with Representative Lukauskas,” Taiwanese foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said, adding that the two sides would accelerate their cooperation on trade, agriculture, health, education and technology-related supply chains.
The Lithuanian economy and innovation ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that its new office would work to implement joint projects with Taiwan and bolster the country’s economic presence in the region.
“Taiwan is included in Lithuania’s priority markets for innovation cooperation, exports and foreign direct investment. In the first half of this year, exports of goods and services of Lithuanian origin to Taipei increased by one-third and have already reached €11.5 million [US$11.7 million],” the ministry said.
01:48
Taiwanese supporters queue up to buy Lithuanian rum held up by mainland China
“It is clear that Lithuanian businesses are discovering this new market.
“The fact that our delegate is working in Taipei for the first time will not only help diversify Lithuania’s economic representation in the Asian region but also promote mutual technological cooperation,” Economy Minister Ausrine Armonaite said.
Lukauskas, the new envoy to Taipei, was a member of a Lithuanian delegation led by Jovita Neliupsiene, the deputy minister for the economy and innovation, that visited Taiwan in June and announced plans to open the representative office.
Neliupsiene said in Taipei that mainland China had been an important export partner, but Lithuania’s exports in the first quarter had fallen to “close to zero”.
Senior US official to visit Lithuania in show of support over Chinese ‘coercion’
“Of course, it’s very painful for certain sectors, for certain businesses and certain parts of the economy,” she said, but added that the value of direct exports to mainland China last year – €240 million – could be made up in other markets, such as Taiwan or elsewhere in Asia.
