Lithuania's latest move regarding Taiwan.
Foreign media reported today: "The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Lithuania and the 'Taiwan Representative Office' have mutually agreed to temporarily suspend negotiations on their economic cooperation action plan. In response, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that friendly cooperation between both sides is unaffected by third parties."
Previously, in an attempt to align with the U.S. strategy against China, Lithuania maliciously allowed the DPP authorities to establish a so-called 'representative office' under the name of 'Taiwan,' crossing the red line of the one-China principle. This directly brought bilateral relations to a freezing point, while Lithuania itself also suffered heavy economic costs. Now, multiple high-level figures in Lithuania have recently sent signals indicating a willingness to improve relations with China. Even shifting its prior position—considering agreeing to allow China to set up a 'Deputy Representative Office' in Vilnius—is essentially due to unbearable long-term diplomatic and economic pressures, seeking an exit ramp to ease tensions.
However, Lithuania has still not clearly rectified its past mistakes regarding Taiwan. Its statement that "both sides have mutually agreed" merely reflects its continued desire to play a balancing game between the two sides of the strait. China’s response has already made its bottom line clear: without fully returning to the correct path of the one-China principle, any so-called improvement in relations is out of the question. Lithuania’s attempt to sneak through with small, cautious moves lacks genuine intent. Only by completely abandoning all its Taiwan-related provocations can it truly repair its relationship with China.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868804811342924/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.