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Taiwan's office in Lithuania opens despite Chinese protests

ROC Central News Agency

11/18/2021 08:17 PM

Taipei, Nov. 18 (CNA) Taiwan on Thursday officially opened its new representative office in Lithuania despite retaliatory sanctions launched by China against the Baltic state over the latter's decision to allow the use of "Taiwanese" in the office's name.

The Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was opened in the nation's capital Vilnius, with Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), currently Taiwan's chief of Mission in Latvia, appointed as the nation's first representative to Lithuania, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced in a press release.

According to MOFA, the new office will facilitate bilateral cooperation in various fields, including semiconductors, lasers and fintech. Its opening will "charter a new and promising course for bilateral relations between Taiwan and Lithuania."

The new office will take over, with immediate effect, the responsibility of promoting relations between Taiwan and the Baltic state, as well as serving and protecting Taiwanese citizens in the country. The Taipei Mission in Latvia was previously responsible for offering such services in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, it added.

However, the opening of the office came against the backdrop of the Baltic state facing increased pressure from Beijing following its decision to open reciprocal representative offices with Taiwan.

Taiwan typically uses "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office" or "Taipei Representative Office" in those countries, likely due to host countries' preference to avoid any semblance of treating Taiwan as a separate country in light of their "one-China" policy.

In response, Beijing, which sees Taiwan and mainland China as part of one country, has sought to impose a political cost on Lithuania for its decision to allow the use of "Taiwanese" in the name of Taiwan's office, seeing such moves as encouraging formal independence.

In addition to recalling its ambassador from Vilnius and expelling the Lithuanian ambassador from Beijing, China has introduced retaliatory sanctions, including the suspension of direct freight train services to the Baltic state.

Despite facing strong pressure from Beijing, the Lithuanian government said it will stick to its decision.

Lithuania economy and innovation minister Aušrinė Armonaitė announced last month that Lithuania's representative office in Taiwan is scheduled to open in early 2022.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/AW