The Chinese government has decided to recall its ambassador to Lithuania and demanded that the Baltic state’s government recall its top envoy in China, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on August 10.

The announcement came after the Lithuanian government decided to allow the Taiwan authorities to open a “representative office” under the name of “Taiwan “despite China’s repeated representations and articulation of potential consequences.

Lithuania established diplomatic ties with China in 1991.

In remarks released on the ministry’s website, the spokesperson stressed that the decision “brazenly violates the spirit of the communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Lithuania and severely undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

“We urge the Lithuanian side to immediately rectify its mistaken decision, take concrete measures to undo the damage, and not to move further down the wrong path,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and also warned the island’s authorities that “Taiwan independence” is a “dead end” and any attempt at separatist activities in the international arena is doomed to fail.

Over the past few months, the ruling collation of Lithuania has vowed to support the “freedom fighters” in Taiwan.

Lithuania’s foreign ministry responded by saying in a statement that it “regrets this move by China … While respecting the principle of one China, [we are] determined to develop mutually beneficial relations with Taiwan”.

And economic minister Ausrine Armonaite added: “We aspire to relations as equals with all states. Our economic policy must continue to strive for the greatest possible diversity and diversification of markets, which will create more opportunities for Lithuanian businesses.

“We will be one of the 67 countries around the world with trade offices in Taiwan, and we are not abandoning these plans,” she said via Facebook.

In a signed article published in Lithuanian media on August 7, Shen Zhifei, China’s ambassador to the country, described the move as “regrettable”, saying it comes despite the “good momentum” of China-Lithuania relations and cooperation over the past 30 years.

On May 22, Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis informed the media of his country’s decision to withdraw from the “17+1” cooperation mechanism, describing the platform between China and Central and Eastern European countries as “divisive” to the EU, and stressing that “Europe’s strength and impact is in its unity”.

On May 20, the Lithuanian parliament passed a resolution recognising China’s “anti-terrorist, anti-secessionist and de-radicalisation practices” in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region as “genocide” and urged the UN to conduct an investigation, and the EU to review its ties with China.

CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK