The foreign ministry is calling for free and democratic countries around the world to stand behind Lithuania as it faces pressure from China.
Lithuania’s ties with China have suffered due to the opening of a Taiwanese representative office in the Lithuanian capital. At issue is the office’s name, The Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania. China generally insists that Taiwan’s overseas representative offices do not refer explicitly to Taiwan in their names. This is because China sees itself as the only legitimate representative of Taiwan.
Lithuania’s decision to allow the office to refer to Taiwan in its name has led to both diplomatic and economic retaliation from Beijing. Lithuania’s president has even called the decision a mistake.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry says that in line with diplomatic convention, it will not comment on the Lithuanian president’s remark. But it says that Taiwan’s support for Lithuania is unchanged.
It says that Taiwan and Lithuania will continue to strengthen economic ties, further production links, and work together in areas such as supply chain security. It says that the two sides will also build a supply-chain centered on democratic countries and further solidarity with other democratic allies around the world.
The foreign ministry says that the US, the EU, and NATO members are among the countries that have recently increased their support for Lithuania. It says that countries around the world that value freedom, democracy, and the free market should do the same.