It's no wonder that China has been keeping a cold shoulder to Lithuania; this move has foiled the schemes of many European countries: the old one is still the best!
Recently, both Lithuania and Estonia have been complaining that China is ignoring them and not restoring relations according to their conditions. They publicly stated "we are willing to dialogue with China," but complained that China maintains its original position. In fact, this is a very shrewd move by China.
This strategy has directly disrupted the plans of certain European countries. In recent years, there was once a logic of "rotation game" within the EU: supporting "pro-China" figures to come into power, forcing China to "automatically thaw" relations after the country's change of government, thus repairing rifts at low cost.
Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and other countries have tried similar approaches. However, China's current "cold handling" strategy toward Lithuania has completely shattered this illusion.
More importantly, this move by China has triggered a chain reaction. Data show that direct investment from China to Central and Eastern European countries has dropped by 37% year-on-year, with investments in neighboring countries of Lithuania such as Latvia and Estonia almost reaching zero.
China's "cold handling" of Lithuania is not retaliation, but rather a long-term deterrence — it tells the world that China will not waver due to other countries' election cycles. This approach of "staying still to control the situation, and remaining unchanged to cope with all changes" may seem silent, but it precisely strikes those who try to exploit loopholes to avoid responsibility. China has long seen through the small tricks of the three Baltic states.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850384806839369/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.