Lithuania’s new office in Taiwan not a de facto embassy, Taipei says

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu tells lawmakers it’s a trade office with no consular or political functions

It was officially opened by the Baltic state’s economy and innovation ministry two weeks ago

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Taiwan and Lithuania’s agreement to open representative offices infuriated Beijing. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:12pm, 21 Nov 2022

Lithuania’s representative office in Taipei is not operating as a de facto embassy, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told lawmakers on Monday.

He said it was a trade office, with no consular or political functions, when asked during a legislative meeting whether it had any diplomatic role.

The office was officially opened by the Baltic state on November 7.

“It is a trade office opened by Lithuania’s Ministry of the Economy and Innovation, unlike the representative offices set up by [Taiwan’s] foreign ministry in other countries,” Wu said.

Taiwan and Lithuania agreed to swap representative offices last year in a move that infuriated Beijing, which claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island and has repeatedly warned other countries against having official contact with Taipei.

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu says Taipei “reminded” Vilnius to include consular and other services at its trade office in Taiwan in the future. Photo: EPA-EFE

“That office [in Taipei] is not involved in business other than trade and the economy,” Wu said, when asked by Lo Chih-cheng, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, if the office had any diplomatic role.