Representative of the European Formosa Club, a group of pro-Taiwan parliamentarians from different European countries, has penned a letter backing the development of Taiwan-Lithuania ties.
Taiwan and Lithuania are establishing representative offices in each other’s capitals. The decision to allow the Taiwan office in Vilnius to call itself a “Taiwan Representative Office” has angered China, leading it to recall its ambassador to Lithuania.
The European Formosa Club addressed its letter to leading EU officials, the foreign ministers of all EU member states, and the Secretary-General of NATO. The letter says that Lithuania is a sovereign nation and has the right to develop economic and cultural links with Taiwan. The letter also says that Lithuania has the right to exchange representative offices with Taiwan, as the EU and 15 of its other member states have done.
The letter says that Chinese attempts to coerce Lithuania are not only a clear violation of diplomatic norms, but also a brazen attack on Lithuania’s sovereignty. It calls on NATO to voice support for Lithuania as it faces pressure from China and Russia.