https://www.scmp.com/rss/513365/feed Lithuania is located in the Baltic region of Europe between Latvia and Poland, and also borders Belarus and Russia. In 1990 it became the first Soviet-occupied state to announce the restitution of independence and in 1991 its citizens fended off an attempt by the Soviet Union to forment a coup. In 2001 the country joined the WTO and in 2004 it gained membership of both Nato and the European Union, adopting the Schengen Agreement in 2007 and the euro currency in 2015. In 2021 the Taiwanese... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham At a top-level meeting of her 26 department chiefs in March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen quietly approved a plan to stop EU funds from going to clean technology projects containing Chinese inverters. Inverters are the essential power electronics at the heart of solar and wind systems. Industry groups estimate that Chinese companies led by Huawei Technologies control more than 220 gigawatts of Europe’s installed solar capacity via the devices. The commission wants to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350056/eu-cut-funding-chinese-inverters-quiet-offensive-replaces-grandstanding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350056/eu-cut-funding-chinese-inverters-quiet-offensive-replaces-grandstanding?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:01:18 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Taiwan has pushed back against a growing number of foreign governments that label it part of China in their internal systems. But questions are mounting over whether Taipei’s retaliatory moves can deliver results. The dispute has widened in recent weeks after South Korea, Denmark and Cameroon were found to have changed how they designate the island in official systems, such as those that handle visa documents, residence permits and international conference credentials. Taipei has responded with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348438/names-and-games-taipei-hits-back-over-china-label-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3348438/names-and-games-taipei-hits-back-over-china-label-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham In the days after the United States and Israel tipped the Middle East into a new and catastrophic crisis with their attacks on Iran, European leaders were all over the map. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz both voiced support for regime change in Iran soon after the strikes started more than four weeks ago. Each of them also questioned the continued utility of the international rules-based order, while Merz’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348402/europes-crisis-tourism-how-iran-war-swallowed-eus-geopolitical-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348402/europes-crisis-tourism-how-iran-war-swallowed-eus-geopolitical-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he can imagine a trade deal with China in the future, signalling a new softening stance towards Beijing in European capitals. “We have set quite a lot in motion when it comes to trade policy. I can also envisage further agreements, for example, in the longer term an agreement with the People’s Republic of China,” Merz said in the German parliament on Wednesday. Merz’s remarks underscore how surging trade and geopolitical tensions with Washington are... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348030/germanys-merz-floats-eu-china-trade-deal-capitals-soften-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348030/germanys-merz-floats-eu-china-trade-deal-capitals-soften-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko freed 250 prisoners on Thursday - the biggest batch to be released so far - in return for a further easing of US sanctions, the US embassy in neighbouring Lithuania said. The releases were part of a bargaining process in which Lukashenko was seeking a normalisation of ties with Washington after years of isolation and sanctions, in exchange for easing repression in the former Soviet state he has led since 1994. Belarusian ‌human rights group Viasna said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347236/belarus-frees-250-political-prisoners-us-removes-more-sanctions-latest-signs-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347236/belarus-frees-250-political-prisoners-us-removes-more-sanctions-latest-signs-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 03:05:20 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo China has a few red lines. But if you respect them, life can be smooth and wonderful. China doesn’t care if you are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu or an atheist. It doesn’t care if your government is democratic, theocratic or dictatorial. If you want to do business, China is more than happy to partner with you. If you need aid, that’s fine; it won’t tell you what to do with the money or otherwise dictate your finances, so long as it sees some returns, whether commercial, strategic or... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342876/outside-its-few-red-lines-china-ultimate-win-win-country?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342876/outside-its-few-red-lines-china-ultimate-win-win-country?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Lithuania “jumped in front of the train and lost” on its decision over Taipei’s de facto embassy, the country’s prime minister said, as Vilnius became the latest European capital to seek to recalibrate ties with Beijing. In an interview with the Baltic News Service on Tuesday, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said Vilnius made a mistake in allowing the opening of a Taiwanese representative office in the capital in 2021. The move enraged Beijing, which saw the use of “Taiwanese” – rather... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342546/diplomatic-u-turn-vilnius-rues-taiwan-de-facto-embassy-row-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342546/diplomatic-u-turn-vilnius-rues-taiwan-de-facto-embassy-row-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:11:32 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic As Russia remains bogged down in Ukraine, Belarus – the Kremlin’s only ally in Europe – seeks to improve relations with the United States. Unwilling to remain completely dependent on its giant neighbour, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko seems to be attempting to revive his well-known “multi-vector” foreign policy, balancing between Moscow, the West and China. But will he succeed? As the year nears its end, the 71-year-old Belarusian strongman has made several “humanitarian” gestures... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337348/russian-ally-belarus-courting-both-us-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337348/russian-ally-belarus-courting-both-us-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:30:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump’s envoy John Coale said on Saturday that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko had promised to stop weather balloons flying from his country into Lithuania. “He agreed recently to do everything he could to stop the balloons,” Coale told Reuters in Vilnius, after two days of talks with Lukashenko. The balloons, used by cigarette smugglers, have caused over a dozen closures of Vilnius airport in recent months. Lithuania has accused Belarus of conducting a “hybrid attack”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336356/belarus-agrees-stop-balloon-flights-lithuania-amid-hybrid-attack-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336356/belarus-agrees-stop-balloon-flights-lithuania-amid-hybrid-attack-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 18:24:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Lithuania’s government has declared a national emergency over security risks posed by meteorological balloons sent from Russia-allied Belarus that have violated its airspace in recent weeks, while the Belarusian leader called for negotiations on border tensions and said his country “does not need war”. The balloons forced Lithuania to repeatedly shut down its main airport, stranding thousands of people, as Europe remains on alert over previous intrusions into Nato airspace during the war in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335857/lithuania-declares-national-emergency-over-balloons-belarus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335857/lithuania-declares-national-emergency-over-balloons-belarus?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 05:03:14 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage South Africa, China’s largest trade partner in the continent, and other Southern African Customs Union (SACU) members are suffering from an unforeseen barrier to enjoying Beijing’s zero-tariff policy. The hurdle is eSwatini’s continued diplomatic recognition of Taiwan and hence exclusion from the favourable policy. SACU customs deals are negotiated collectively among the five member states, which means none can unilaterally benefit from the preferential tariff exemption. Beijing sees Taiwan as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335328/china-promised-zero-tariffs-africa-so-why-south-africa-missing-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335328/china-promised-zero-tariffs-africa-so-why-south-africa-missing-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 08:29:56 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union has formally terminated a long-running dispute with China at the World Trade Organization, centred on Beijing’s alleged coercion of Lithuania in 2021. In a statement circulated to WTO members, the bloc said it was abandoning the case “considering the key objectives behind this dispute have been met and relevant trade has resumed”. The case arose after Lithuania permitted the opening of a controversially named “Taiwanese Representative Office” in its capital, Vilnius. Soon... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3334821/eu-abandons-wto-case-against-china-over-alleged-coercion-lithuania?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3334821/eu-abandons-wto-case-against-china-over-alleged-coercion-lithuania?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 19:52:26 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham As they look to keep the United States engaged in Ukraine and push for lower trade tariffs, EU ministers lobbied their US counterparts for joint policies on China on Monday – even as new public opinion polling shows a waning appetite for such a partnership. The China carrot was dangled by successive ministers ahead of and after a meeting of the bloc’s trade council in Brussels, which was attended by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. This is despite... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334031/eu-ministers-court-trump-joint-china-policy-even-public-scepticism-grows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3334031/eu-ministers-court-trump-joint-china-policy-even-public-scepticism-grows?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 06:00:13 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof What first appeared to be an act of vandalism by a Chinese tourist at a Unesco-listed heritage site in Malaysia has turned out to be a sanctioned artistic collaboration that has nonetheless sparked a fierce public debate over cultural preservation and creative freedom. The controversy began when a tourist, known as “Shi Shi” on the Chinese social media platform RedNote, uploaded a video of herself painting a panda on a well-known street mural at Chew Jetty in Penang’s George Town on October 15,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3332367/panda-monium-malaysia-foreign-street-artist-paints-over-penang-heritage-mural?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3332367/panda-monium-malaysia-foreign-street-artist-paints-over-penang-heritage-mural?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:20:59 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Beijing has lodged a protest with the European Union following a surprise speech by Taiwan’s No 2 leader Hsiao Bi-khim at the European Parliament in Brussels on Friday. Organisers said she was the most senior official from Taiwan to have spoken at a foreign legislature in which the island did not have diplomatic recognition. Hsiao spoke at an unofficial conference of lawmakers from around the world who advocate for tougher China policies. She told the gathering that “cross-strait stability is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332008/taiwans-no-2-leader-hsiao-bi-khim-makes-shock-speech-european-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332008/taiwans-no-2-leader-hsiao-bi-khim-makes-shock-speech-european-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:34:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Lithuania summoned a Russian diplomat in protest over what it said was the entry of two Russian planes into its airspace on Thursday, though Moscow denied any such violation. A Sukhoi SU-30 fighter and an IL-78 tanker from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad passed through Lithuanian airspace for 700 metres (2,300 feet) before leaving it after 18 seconds, probably during aerial refuelling training, according to a short statement from the Nato member country’s military. Later Thursday, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330127/lithuania-summons-russian-diplomat-after-airspace-incursion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330127/lithuania-summons-russian-diplomat-after-airspace-incursion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:34:58 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi The Donald Trump administration is executing not merely a restructuring but a fundamental redefinition of American military purpose. The clearest evidence emerged in June, when the US president deployed 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles alongside 4,000 federalised National Guard troops to confront immigration enforcement protests – without California Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent. A federal judge subsequently ruled that this deployment violated the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3329870/retreating-globally-us-finds-new-arena-flex-power-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3329870/retreating-globally-us-finds-new-arena-flex-power-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Alarmed by Russia’s vast military spending since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the three Baltic states were drawing up contingency plans to deal with the possibility of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing a Russian troop build-up or attack. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have long voiced fears to fellow Nato states about possible Russian aggression, citing Russian cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and incursions over the past few months by Russian fighter jets and drones. Russia has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328502/baltic-nations-planning-mass-evacuations-event-russian-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328502/baltic-nations-planning-mass-evacuations-event-russian-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 06:45:33 +0000 Reuters Reuters Lithuania reopened air traffic at Vilnius airport, its largest and busiest air hub, on Sunday after hours of suspensions and diversions triggered by smugglers’ balloons carrying contraband from neighbouring Belarus, officials said. European aviation has repeatedly been thrown into chaos in recent weeks by drone sightings and air incursions, including at airports in Copenhagen and Munich. Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) said the security scare occurred when helium weather... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327895/lithuanias-vilnius-airport-suspends-traffic-over-balloons-airspace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327895/lithuanias-vilnius-airport-suspends-traffic-over-balloons-airspace?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 23:29:58 +0000 Jiang Chuqin Jiang Chuqin Hong Kong has widened its recognition of veterinary health certificates for cats and dogs imported from mainland China, expanding from only Shenzhen to all regions across the border. Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department revealed on Tuesday that it was now accepting animal health certificates issued by official veterinarians from all customs authorities on the mainland. The city started recognising certificates issued by official veterinarians of Shenzhen Customs on June... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3327352/hong-kong-accept-mainland-chinese-health-certificates-imported-cats-dogs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3327352/hong-kong-accept-mainland-chinese-health-certificates-imported-cats-dogs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 06:19:56 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham At the start of this year, as US President Donald Trump returned to pummel the European Union and China with tariffs and threats, many expected a rapprochement between Brussels and Beijing. Nine months in, however, gloom hangs over the relationship, as the bloc grows increasingly frustrated at the Asian giant’s action on trade and what it sees as its catalysing support for Russia on the battlefield. “Some expected some kind of charm offensive by China … we haven’t seen a charm offensive. We’ve... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326156/could-eu-dust-its-trade-bazooka-take-china-europe-weighs-its-options?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326156/could-eu-dust-its-trade-bazooka-take-china-europe-weighs-its-options?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press British, Lithuanian and Latvian authorities have detained people on suspicion of carrying out intelligence-related activities on behalf of Russia in the latest of a string of incidents linked to Moscow by Western officials. The Metropolitan Police said on Thursday they arrested three people just east of London on suspicion of spying for Russia. On Wednesday, Lithuanian prosecutors said they uncovered and detained a Russia-linked network of suspects who are alleged to have planned and organised... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326023/uk-police-arrest-3-spying-lithuania-eyes-russia-linked-sabotage-network?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326023/uk-police-arrest-3-spying-lithuania-eyes-russia-linked-sabotage-network?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:55:34 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings A member-driven organisation representing European business interests in China is urging policymakers to seize the opportunity – while forming the nation’s next five-year plan – to rebalance the economic-development model and strike at the heart of cutthroat price competition that hurts both foreign and domestic firms. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, which has more than 1,600 member companies, recommends in its latest position paper that China should use its 2026-2030 plan to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325859/eu-chamber-china-flags-manufacturing-maladies-urging-course-correction-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325859/eu-chamber-china-flags-manufacturing-maladies-urging-course-correction-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 09:01:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russia and its key ally Belarus began major joint military drills early Friday, putting Nato on edge two days after Poland accused Moscow of escalating tensions by firing attack drones through its airspace. The “Zapad” exercises also come as Russian forces grind across the sprawling front line in Ukraine and escalate aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities. Nato’s eastern flank members that border Belarus - Poland, Lithuania and Latvia - are on high alert over the drills, which Belarus says will be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325314/nato-high-alert-russia-and-belarus-launch-major-war-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325314/nato-high-alert-russia-and-belarus-launch-major-war-games?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 07:06:46 +0000 Mark Magnier,Finbarr Bermingham,Khushboo Razdan Mark Magnier,Finbarr Bermingham,Khushboo Razdan US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3324250/western-leaders-parse-china-military-parade-displaying-authoritarian-strength?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3324250/western-leaders-parse-china-military-parade-displaying-authoritarian-strength?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 20:21:26 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Nato’s easternmost member states are grappling with a sharp rise in radio and satellite interference, with Baltic governments accusing Russia of positioning equipment for electronic warfare close to their borders. Since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Baltic Sea region has registered widespread signal jamming, including of the Global Positioning System or GPS, which has affected air and maritime communications. But authorities in the Baltic... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3322958/russia-needles-nato-escalating-signal-spoofing-baltic-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3322958/russia-needles-nato-escalating-signal-spoofing-baltic-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:12:07 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao This year marks half a century of formal diplomatic relations between China and the European Union as well as the 25th anniversary of the founding of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. In this, the fourth part of the series, Shi Jiangtao looks at how the issue of Taiwan is overshadowing the relationship. As mainland China and the European Union mark 50 years of diplomatic ties, there is growing concern in Beijing that the bloc may be undermining its one-China policy, as Brussels –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322001/why-eu-stance-taiwan-growing-cause-concern-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322001/why-eu-stance-taiwan-growing-cause-concern-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 15:00:11 +0000 Ji Siqi,Finbarr Bermingham Ji Siqi,Finbarr Bermingham China announced on Wednesday it would sanction two European banks as a countermeasure against previous financial sanctions from the 27-member bloc. The Ministry of Commerce will ban Chinese agencies and individuals from doing business with UAB Urbo Bankas and AB Mano Bankas, according to its online statement. The two banks are from Lithuania, a country that has been one of Beijing’s most vociferous critics in Europe. The Baltic state saw its relations with Beijing downgraded and diplomats... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3321683/china-bans-agencies-and-individuals-dealing-2-eu-banks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3321683/china-bans-agencies-and-individuals-dealing-2-eu-banks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 06:17:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Lithuania’s Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas stepped down on Thursday following investigations into his business dealings that prompted protests in the Baltic country’s capital calling for his resignation. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda announced Paluckas’ resignation to the media on Thursday morning. A spokesperson for Paluckas did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Paluckas, a newly established leader of the centre-left Social Democrats, ascended to the role late last... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320286/lithuanias-pm-quits-amid-protests-investigations-business-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320286/lithuanias-pm-quits-amid-protests-investigations-business-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 08:56:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he had signed a decree to pull Ukraine out of the Ottawa Convention banning the production and use of anti-personnel mines as a necessary step in view of Russian tactics in their 40-month-old war. Ukraine ratified the convention in 2005. The Ottawa Convention, adopted in 1997, prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of all types of anti-personnel mines, which are considered especially inhumane weapons. More than 160 countries... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3316300/ukraine-track-withdraw-ottawa-anti-personnel-mines-treaty-zelensky-decree-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3316300/ukraine-track-withdraw-ottawa-anti-personnel-mines-treaty-zelensky-decree-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 19:51:52 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham No EU institution has clashed more often – or more loudly – with China than the European Parliament. While others tiptoe around thorny issues, its members have for years engaged in running battles with Beijing, taking aim at everything from human rights and trade to Taiwan and foreign meddling, sometimes sending the broader EU-China relationship spiralling. In recent months, however, a remarkable reset has been under way, led by President Roberta Metsola, who has sought to normalise relations... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315731/blacklist-backchannels-inside-european-parliaments-unlikely-china-reset?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315731/blacklist-backchannels-inside-european-parliaments-unlikely-china-reset?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 04:08:30 +0000 Reuters Reuters Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a leading Belarus opposition figure, was freed on Saturday after more than five years in prison, in the most significant move so far by President Alexander Lukashenko to try to ease his isolation from the West. The 46-year-old was driven across the border into Lithuania for an emotional reunion with his wife Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the exiled Belarus opposition. The Lithuanian government said 13 other prisoners were also released and taken there following... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3315361/belarus-opposition-leader-freed-jail-us-brokered-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3315361/belarus-opposition-leader-freed-jail-us-brokered-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jun 2025 23:18:58 +0000 Agencies Agencies Ukraine has received an invitation to the coming Nato summit in The Hague, Netherlands, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on Monday. “We have been invited to the Nato summit. I think that is important,” Zelensky said. The invitation was extended during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in Vilnius, Lithuania. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has been tasked with preparing the meeting. Zelensky did not say whether he would travel to the Netherlands himself. The summit of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3312808/ukraine-invited-nato-summit-hague-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3312808/ukraine-invited-nato-summit-hague-month?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2025 20:54:56 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan is scrambling to shore up its cybersecurity capabilities through new legislation, international partnerships and training schemes – moves observers say are long overdue as threats from hostile states and criminal groups escalate. In the latest push, Defence Minister Gen Nakatani met his Lithuanian counterpart Dovile Sakaliene in Tokyo on Wednesday and agreed to deepen cooperation in cybersecurity. A Japanese defence ministry expert will be dispatched to Lithuania in June to learn from the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3312312/japan-boosts-cybersecurity-new-laws-overseas-partnerships-amid-rising-digital-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3312312/japan-boosts-cybersecurity-new-laws-overseas-partnerships-amid-rising-digital-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham There have been many signs of a messy divorce between Europe and the United States since Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, but one of the most stark arrived earlier this month. A sweeping survey of more than 100,000 people claiming to be the “world’s largest annual study on democracy” found that in Europe, net perceptions of China have overtaken those of the US. Only in Poland, Hungary and Lithuania is the US more popular than China, according to the study by the Alliance of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311804/there-are-limits-problems-chinas-efforts-patch-things-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3311804/there-are-limits-problems-chinas-efforts-patch-things-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 May 2025 15:00:37 +0000 Jiang Chuqin Jiang Chuqin Hong Kong will slash the quarantine time for cats and dogs imported from mainland China from the current 120 days to 30 next month, amid calls to ease travel restrictions for pet owners and reduce cross-border animal smuggling. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department revealed on Tuesday that the new rules would take effect on June 3. “Cats and dogs imported from the mainland that meet the relevant quarantine requirements and are accompanied by an animal health certificate issued... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3310216/hong-kong-cut-quarantine-cats-and-dogs-mainland-30-days-120?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3310216/hong-kong-cut-quarantine-cats-and-dogs-mainland-30-days-120?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 May 2025 13:42:22 +0000 Last year, as the European Union’s 27 members prepared to vote on whether to impose tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, US diplomats hit the phones. Washington mounted a pressure campaign to ensure EU countries did not waver under a counter campaign from Beijing to vote down Brussels’ proposed tariffs. Chinese officials were dangling the carrot of lucrative investments for those opposing the duties, as well as the stick of retaliatory investigations into goods like pork, brandy and dairy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3306820/eu-draws-lessons-china-clashes-it-faces-against-us-under-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3306820/eu-draws-lessons-china-clashes-it-faces-against-us-under-donald-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Apr 2025 05:00:08 +0000 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told nervous Nato members on Thursday that Washington remained committed to the alliance, but said they must agree to massively ramp up their spending targets for defence. US President Donald Trump has rattled Europe by casting doubt on his willingness to defend all allies, and by reaching out to Russia over the war in Ukraine – before further raising tensions with his latest trade tariffs. “Some of this hysteria and hyperbole that I see in the global media and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3305120/marco-rubio-says-us-committed-nato-tells-allies-spend-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3305120/marco-rubio-says-us-committed-nato-tells-allies-spend-more?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Apr 2025 11:39:44 +0000 Nato members Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia plan to withdraw from the Ottawa convention banning anti-personnel landmines due to the military threat from their neighbour Russia, the four countries said on Tuesday. Quitting the 1997 treaty, which has been ratified or acceded to by more than 160 nations, will allow Poland and the three Baltic countries to start stockpiling and using landmines again. “Military threats to Nato member states bordering Russia and Belarus have significantly... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3302888/poland-baltic-nations-quit-landmine-treaty-amid-russia-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3302888/poland-baltic-nations-quit-landmine-treaty-amid-russia-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Mar 2025 13:05:28 +0000 Lithuanian prosecutors on Monday blamed the Russian military intelligence service for being behind the arson attack on an Ikea store in Vilnius last year, calling it “an act of terrorism”. Lithuania, a Baltic state and Nato member, has been a staunch ally of Kyiv since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and frequently warned against sabotage attempts inspired by Russia. On Monday, Lithuanian prosecutor general’s office attributed the arson attack at Vilnius’s Ikea furniture store to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3302737/lithuania-blames-russian-military-intelligence-ikea-store-arson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3302737/lithuania-blames-russian-military-intelligence-ikea-store-arson?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:09:09 +0000 Best known for his role as Sihtric in historical-fiction TV series The Last Kingdom, actor Arnas Fedaravičius has seamlessly slipped out of his Viking garb and into modern athleisure for his role as flirty Russian yogi Valentin in the third season of The White Lotus. This season of the hit show takes viewers to Thailand, where guests checked into The White Lotus include a trio of middle-aged girlfriends (Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb and Carrie Coon), a May-December, age-difference couple... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3301464/meet-white-lotus-star-arnas-fedaravicius-lithuanian-actor-plays-yoga-instructor-new-season-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3301464/meet-white-lotus-star-arnas-fedaravicius-lithuanian-actor-plays-yoga-instructor-new-season-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Mar 2025 21:00:13 +0000 An Australian warship on Monday rescued a Lithuanian solo rower who had encountered a tropical cyclone while attempting to cross the Pacific Ocean from California. Aurimas Mockus was taken aboard Royal Australian Navy landing ship HMAS Choules, where he was undergoing a medical assessment, Vice-Admiral Justin Jones said in a statement. “Because of highly unfavourable sea conditions, Mr. Mockus’s boat could not be recovered except for two oars and some personal items,” the Australian Maritime... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3300830/australian-navy-rescues-cross-pacific-rower-cyclone-tossed-seas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3300830/australian-navy-rescues-cross-pacific-rower-cyclone-tossed-seas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Mar 2025 07:52:11 +0000 Europe needs to learn how to “swim and survive” in a new era in which it is “surrounded by sharks” as it faces pressure from China and Trump’s US, according to Gabrielius Landsbergis, who was until December the Lithuanian foreign minister. Landsbergis said the European Union was “clinging to a position that we are not an actor”, while China and the United States were “creating their own ways of how to conduct business with each other”. In response to the tectonic shift in geopolitics, he urged... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3296927/surrounded-sharks-europe-tries-keep-afloat-amid-pressures-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3296927/surrounded-sharks-europe-tries-keep-afloat-amid-pressures-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Feb 2025 08:00:08 +0000 The European Union will resume its World Trade Organization case against China over the alleged economic coercion of Lithuania. The bloc’s executive arm, the European Commission, said on Friday it had requested a resumption at the Geneva trade courts, ending a week of speculation over whether it would let the suit expire. The case was launched in 2022, after a fierce dispute between Vilnius and Beijing over a controversially named “Taiwanese Representative Office” in the tiny Baltic state. Soon... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3296231/eu-resume-wto-case-against-china-over-alleged-economic-coercion-lithuania?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3296231/eu-resume-wto-case-against-china-over-alleged-economic-coercion-lithuania?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jan 2025 15:44:52 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification It is disheartening to witness the financial challenges facing one of Hong Kong’s most cherished landmarks, Ocean Park, devolve into a superficial debate within the Legislative Council. The recent... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3290616/ocean-parks-financial-woes-need-better-solution-more-grants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3290616/ocean-parks-financial-woes-need-better-solution-more-grants?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Dec 2024 03:30:08 +0000 A DHL cargo plane crashed on approach to an airport in Lithuania’s capital and skidded into a house on Monday morning, killing a Spanish crew member but not harming anyone on the ground. The cause of the accident is under investigation. A surveillance video showed the plane descending normally as it approached the airport before sunrise, and then exploding into a huge ball of fire behind a building. The moment of impact could not be seen in the video. The crash took place at a time when Western... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3287996/dhl-cargo-plane-crashes-house-lithuania?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3287996/dhl-cargo-plane-crashes-house-lithuania?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Nov 2024 06:32:13 +0000 For years, Lithuania has been one of Beijing’s most vociferous critics in Europe as it sought to build close ties with Taiwan. But with a new government in the offing, there are signs that the Baltic state might be looking to mend ties with the world’s second largest economy – even if observers believe the relationship is beyond repair. Gintautas Paluckas, the candidate the Social Democratic Party want to make prime minister if it can form a coalition after coming first in last month’s election,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286874/lithuanias-next-government-wants-patch-things-china-it-even-possible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286874/lithuanias-next-government-wants-patch-things-china-it-even-possible?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Nov 2024 07:00:09 +0000 Lithuania votes in the second round of its general election on Sunday, likely to replace the ruling conservatives with a centre-left coalition amid security concerns about neighbouring Russia. The Social Democratic Party won the most seats in the first round of voting two weeks ago, and were readying to take power in a shift that is expected to leave intact the Nato and EU member’s strong support for Ukraine. The party already secured 20 seats in the 141-seat parliament, and another 35 of its... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3284068/centre-left-tipped-take-power-lithuanians-vote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3284068/centre-left-tipped-take-power-lithuanians-vote?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 11:25:08 +0000 The United States and European Union have voiced renewed concerns over China’s “very substantial” support for Russia’s military, warning the assistance was allowing the Kremlin to keep waging war against Ukraine and threatened global security. The allegations followed the latest instalment of the US-EU dialogue on China and high-level consultations on the Indo-Pacific held this week in Brussels. In their joint statement, American and EU officials cited “China’s ongoing support for Russia’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3278160/us-eu-raise-alarm-over-chinas-very-substantial-support-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3278160/us-eu-raise-alarm-over-chinas-very-substantial-support-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Sep 2024 21:32:34 +0000 Two senior officials in US President Joe Biden’s administration on Thursday slammed Beijing for coercive behaviour globally on the economic, defence and other fronts, and discussed their wide-ranging efforts to push back. America’s ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, highlighted “very ill-advised efforts by the government of China to intimidate the Philippines at Second Thomas Shoal, at Sabina Shoal, in an incident at Scarborough Shoal, just to name three incidents over the last month or... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3277393/chinas-economic-coercion-evokes-greater-scrutiny-and-resentment-senior-us-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3277393/chinas-economic-coercion-evokes-greater-scrutiny-and-resentment-senior-us-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Sep 2024 21:13:49 +0000