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China recalls ambassador to Lithuania in rare countermeasure on Taiwan question; possible 'diplomatic cut-off' not ruled out: experts

Global Times

By GT staff reporters Published: Aug 10, 2021 06:16 PM

China announced it will recall its ambassador to Lithuania and demanded that the Lithuanian government recall its ambassador to China, as a countermeasure in response to the Eastern European country's act to allow the separatist Taiwan authorities to open a "representative office" under the name of "Taiwan" - a move which severely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and openly violates the spirit of the communiqué on the establishment of China-Lithuania diplomatic ties.

Chinese experts said the latest decision by the Chinese government is a "serious" and "rarely seen" countermeasure against the vicious move of Lithuania in challenging China's core interests and sovereignty, and the possibility of a "diplomatic relation cut-off" cannot be ruled out if the Lithuanian government fails to correct its mistakes on the Taiwan question.

A spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the Lithuanian government, in disregard of China's repeated representations and articulation of potential consequences, has announced its decision to allow Taiwan authorities to open a "representative office" under the name of "Taiwan." This brazenly violates the spirit of the communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Lithuania and severely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, said the spokesperson.

China warned Lithuania that there is only one China in the world and the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson noted that the one-China principle is a widely recognized norm of international relations and common consensus of the international community. It is the political foundation for China to develop bilateral relations with other countries.

The Chinese government and people have unswerving determination to achieve reunification of the country. The red line of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity shall not be crossed, according to the spokesperson.

"We urge Lithuania to immediately rectify its wrong decision, take concrete measures to undo the damage, and not to move further down the wrong path. We also warn Taiwan authorities that 'Taiwan independence' is a dead end and any attempt at separatist activities in the international arena is doomed to fail," said the spokesperson.

In July, the island of Taiwan said that it had reached an agreement with Lithuania to open a "representative office" in the Lithuanian capital, which is in serious provocation of the Chinese mainland.

Hijacked by US' agenda to contain China, Lithuania has taken a series of moves to provoke China. In May, Lithuania, the small Baltic country with a population of less than 3 million, announced that it was quitting the "17+1" cooperation mechanism, a platform between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs). In the same month, Lithuania's parliament passed a resolution to describe China's treatment of Uygur as "genocide" and "crimes against humanity."

Chinese experts pointed out that this small country's strategy is to woo and follow the US and be the "loyal puppet" that barks the fiercest at the US' strategic rivals in exchange for protection. They warned that Lithuania will eventually pay the price for its violation of international rules.

Liu Zuokui, a research fellow on European studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday that recalling an ambassador is a serious setback in bilateral relations and a "rarely seen" diplomatic move, which would have a considerable impact on China-Lithuania relations.

Liu warned that as long as "official exchanges" between Lithuania and the island of Taiwan are not cut off, China's relations with Lithuania will not improve.

The possibility of a "diplomatic relation cut-off" between China and Lithuania cannot be ruled out if the Lithuanian government fails to correct its mistakes, Liu said.

Recalling Chinese ambassadors is rare in the history of China's diplomacy. Due to a similar reason related to the Taiwan question, China recalled its then-ambassador to the US Li Daoyu in 1995, after Washington allowed former Taiwan regional leader Lee Teng-hui to "visit" the US.