Following the announcement by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament of the European Baltic State that Lithuania plans to set up an official trade representative office in Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry responded on Thursday by expressing its “firm opposition” to the announcement.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) on Wednesday quoted the chairman of the Lithuanian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Pavelionis, as confirming that Lithuania plans to expand its relations with Taiwan by establishing an economic representative office. The move is based on a resolution adopted last month by the Lithuanian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, which supports Lithuania’s move away from the Beijing-led “17+1” cooperation mechanism between China and Central and Eastern European countries and instead promotes cooperation with other democratic countries.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ou Jiang’an said the same day on the above news that Taiwan would welcome any idea that would help deepen friendly relations between Taiwan and Lithuania.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin was also asked about China’s response to Lithuania’s opening of a trade representative office in Taiwan during a regular press conference on Thursday. Wang Wenbin said that China is “resolutely opposed” to the establishment of official institutions or any form of official contacts between diplomatic countries and Taiwan, and urged Lithuania to abide by the “one-China principle” in the establishment of diplomatic relations.
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