[International] Lithuania May Allow China to Establish a 'Chargé d'Affaires Office'; Foreign Minister Does Not Confirm
bellala 央廣3h ago
The Chairman of the Lithuanian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Matuzas, recently stated that Lithuania agrees to China establishing a 'Chargé d'Affaires Office' at this stage. Lithuanian National Radio and Television reported that Lithuanian Foreign Minister Budrys did not confirm this, and the Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee criticized the move as an acknowledgment of lowered national status.
Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) reported that regarding this matter, Budrys (Kestutis Budrys) stated in an interview at the parliament on the 18th that the government has notified relevant agencies of diplomatic actions according to procedures and has maintained communication with the President, Prime Minister, and parliamentary leadership, but specific methods are inconvenient to disclose.
He stated that the government's position is clear: it hopes to restore diplomatic cooperation with China, but "diplomacy is inherently cautious and confidential," and excessive public discussion is detrimental to progress.
At the end of 2021, Lithuania allowed Taiwan to establish a representative office in the capital, Vilnius, named "Taiwan," which angered China. China subsequently imposed diplomatic and economic sanctions on Lithuania, unilaterally downgraded bilateral diplomatic relations to the level of chargé d'affaires, and recalled its ambassador to Lithuania.
Chinese diplomats later applied for new diplomatic credentials under the name of a 'Chargé d'Affaires Office,' but Lithuania did not recognize it and refused to issue them, resulting in no Chinese diplomats in Lithuania from May 2025 onwards.
Matuzas (Remigijus Motuzas) previously stated in a radio interview that Lithuania had previously rejected China's proposals to establish a 'Chargé d'Affaires Office,' but has now changed its stance and is willing to agree at this stage.
However, according to LRT, the Vice Chairman of the Lithuanian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Pavilionis (Žygimantas Pavilionis), criticized the move, pointing out that agreeing to establish a 'Chargé d'Affaires Office' could be seen as acknowledging a lowered status for Lithuania, and that the issue had not been discussed by the committee.
Pavilionis also questioned the rationality of Lithuania shifting its focus to China while Russia's war in Ukraine continues, and warned that Beijing might make further demands, such as closing the Taiwan Representative Office, or even affecting Lithuania's cooperation with democratic countries in the Indo-Pacific.
LRT reported that Matuzas later clarified that it is not establishing an 'office' but a diplomatic representative institution led by a Chargé d'affaires ad interim, operating on the principle of reciprocity and not constituting an humiliation to Lithuania.
Lithuania and China have been in dialogue on this issue for about two years. The report states that Matuzas emphasized that Lithuania has no intention of changing the name or closing the Taiwan Representative Office, but admitted that the negotiations are quite sensitive.
LRT reported that Lithuanian President Nauseda stated that he expects at least the resumption of normal diplomatic representative operations with China, but does not expect the relationship between the two sides to become intimate. (Editor: Shen Zhenjiang)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215680
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