Media Commentary: Lithuanian Authorities Seek to Rebuild Relations with China
According to Lithuania’s national public broadcaster LRT, Lithuanian authorities are actively seeking opportunities to restore ties with China.
Reporting cited Seimas Speaker Žygimantas Pavilionis as stating that intensive negotiations are currently underway with Chinese counterparts, and urging restraint from interfering with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ efforts to find a resolution aimed at improving relations with Beijing.
The report explicitly noted that a Chinese delegation is scheduled to visit Lithuania from November 11 to 12, where it will meet with officials from Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and lawmakers advocating for normalization of diplomatic relations with China.
Citing Pavilionis, LRT reported: “We must try every possible approach. We wish to maintain a European-style relationship with China while also respecting and preserving the position of Taiwan’s people. Let us refrain from disrupting the ongoing talks—allow the representatives from the foreign ministry to explore all available options.”
Lithuania’s news portal Delfi reported on Monday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously sent a letter to Taiwan’s representative office in Vilnius in September, requesting a name change, with an expectation for completion by October 1—the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. According to reports, Vilnius had offered in return to sign an investment cooperation agreement with Taiwan aimed at avoiding double taxation.
Lithuania-China relations deteriorated sharply following Taipei’s establishment of the “Taiwan Representative Office in Lithuania” in Vilnius. China lodged formal protests, subsequently downgrading diplomatic relations between the two countries to the level of chargé d'affaires. In response, Vilnius closed its embassy in Beijing.
In addition, China has imposed restrictions on goods originating from Lithuania and other European countries containing Lithuanian components, affecting businesses in Sweden and Germany as well.
Source: sputniknews
Original: toutiao.com/article/1881403815202947/
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