Chinese Diplomats Visit Lithuania in First Bid to Restore Ties

Chinese diplomats arrived to Lithuania for their first direct engagement in the Baltic country since relations stalled over Vilnius’s support for Taiwan.

(Bloomberg) -- Chinese diplomats arrived to Lithuania for their first direct engagement in the Baltic country since relations stalled over Vilnius’s support for Taiwan.

Representatives from Lithuania’s foreign ministry will meet with the Chinese delegation Thursday to explore steps toward restoring official ties more than a year after China withdrew its last diplomat from the Baltic nation following years of strained relations.

The dispute became one of Europe’s most prominent cases of alleged Chinese economic coercion. Now, after years of disagreements, the Baltic nation is searching for a compromise that allows it to preserve its relations with Taiwan while improving ties with Beijing.

Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said he doesn’t expect a major breakthrough from the meeting and described it as one of many stages in diplomatic talks. 

“We don’t have any grand expectations, so as to avoid major disappointments, nor are we anticipating any major openings or moments of great joy,” Budrys told reporters.  

Instead, the discussions “will reveal the substance, expectations, requests, desires, perspectives and reactions” of each side, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius told reporters late Wednesday. 

Relations soured after Lithuania in 2021 allowed Taiwan to open a representative office under its own name rather than the customary “Taipei,” prompting Beijing to downgrade diplomatic ties and effectively block Lithuanian goods. Both countries have since withdrawn their diplomats.

“I leave no room for interpretations suggesting pressure or subservience,” Budrys said in an interview with the 15min outlet on Tuesday. “We are simply assessing what options are available.”