Lithuania has supported Taiwan against China by allowing Taipei to open its representative office in the country as an embassy, but the Baltic nation needs support from the West and other foreign power in order to stand against and counter the Chinese aggression, a media report said.
In late November, Lithuania permitted Taiwan to open a representative office in Vilnius, the equivalent to an embassy. The office used the name "Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania". Notably, Taiwan uses the name of its capital Taipei in other countries for its representative office. Even Taiwan's office in the US is termed "Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office", reported The Hill.
Lithuania's decision did draw criticism from Beijing as the Communist regime was infuriated and it attacked Lithuania for its decision. "This act creates the false impression of 'one China, one Taiwan' in the world flagrantly violates the one-China principle," said China's Foreign Affairs Ministry adding, the decision undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs.
Even the ministry warned that Beijing will take all necessary measures to defend its national sovereignty and said that the Lithuanian side shall be responsible for all the ensuing consequences.
With regard to Lithuania's decision, China in early December removed the Baltic nation from the country's customs systems. The decision troubled Lithuanian exports as a large number of exports were stranded at various locations.
"It seems that such a country [i.e., Lithuania] is non-existent on China's custom system. It creates additional problems for exporters," the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists said earlier.
Experts said that it was one of the attempts by Beijing to bully Lithuania over its unhindered backing to Taiwan. And in the near future, Beijing will find other ways to bully Lithuania.
The US and the EU have announced their support for Lithuania's decision.
With regard to China's aggression, the EU has warned of further consequences if Beijing's pressure on Lithuania continues but has not specified what the consequences might be.
According to The Hill, for its part, the Biden administration could go further than simply issuing warnings. It could permit Taiwan to rename its Washington office -- if not as the "Taiwan Representative Office," then at least as the "Taipei Representative Office," thereby dropping the additional economic and cultural designation. Washington would not be the first to do so; Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the EU itself and Singapore already have Taiwan Representative Offices.
( With inputs from ANI )
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