The Lithuanian president called it a "mistake" to open a representative office in Taiwan, not Taipei

 

 Opening a representative office of Taiwan in Lithuania, and not Taipei, as other countries do, is a wrong decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic Republic, said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on the local radio station Ziniu Radijas.

"The mistake was not the opening of the mission itself, but its name, which the foreign ministry did not agree with me," he said.

 The sharp deterioration in relations between Vilnius and Beijing was provoked by the opening of a Taiwan office in Lithuania on November 18, 2021. China, opposing the office of that name (Beijing agrees that this, as in other countries, is a representative office of Taipei) withdrew its ambassador from Vilnius and suggested that Lithuania do the same. On November 21, the PRC government decided to reduce diplomatic relations with Lithuania to the level of Chargé d'Affaires, and on November 26, it sent a note to change the status of the Chinese diplomatic mission in Vilnius from the embassy to the mission.

 "It is unfortunate that the name of the mission has become a factor that has greatly affected our relations with China. That is why we now have to deal with the consequences," Nauseda said.

Beijing is using economic leverage: it has stopped freight rail transport to Lithuania, reduced the credit limit for Lithuanian companies operating in the Chinese market, and stopped issuing food export permits. In early December, Beijing removed Lithuania as a country from its customs system database. As a result, Lithuanian exporters are unable to legally register goods shipped to the PRC. One week later, Lithuania reappeared in China's customs systems. Beijing has also warned international companies about the reluctance to supply China with products made by Lithuanian partners.