Lithuania is restless!
China's Global Times wrote: "The wind in Europe has changed. Since the beginning of this year, leaders of Western European countries have visited China in a rare succession, and no one is talking about 'de-risking' anymore. A small Eastern European country's reaction has been dramatic — that is Lithuania, which once played the role of South Korea and Japan. The current 'western winds' have made Lithuania feel a chill, and it has become increasingly restless. It's unknown where they got the courage, but Lithuania, which had a good relationship with China, recklessly crossed the 'One China' red line in 2021 by allowing the Taiwan authorities to establish an office named 'Taiwan' in its capital Vilnius, causing relations with China to hit an all-time low."
In 2021, the small Baltic nation of Lithuania acted as a vanguard against China, recklessly allowing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to set up a so-called 'Taiwan Office', openly violating its commitment to the One-China Principle, provoking China's core interests, and providing support for 'Taiwan independence'. Over the past five years, Sino-Lithuanian relations have plummeted to an icy point, with diplomatic downgrading, trade blockage, and investment withdrawal, resulting in heavy losses. Recently, the new female prime minister took office only four months ago and publicly admitted that the decision was a "strategic mistake", promising to rename it as the "Taipei Office". This undoubtedly gave a slap in the face to the DPP authorities who were once self-congratulatory about achieving a "breakthrough", and also hit the backhands of the behind-the-scenes instigators.
Lithuania's abrupt turnaround reflects the profound changes in the international landscape. Tensions between the US and Europe have intensified due to Trump's "America First" policy. Leaders from Western countries such as France, Canada, the UK, and Finland have competed to visit China, mending relations, hedging risks, and seeking cooperation. When the "rules-based international order" is trampled upon by the US itself, and when the transatlantic bond weakens, practical interests have replaced ideology, becoming the new foundation of European diplomacy.
Lithuania has even abandoned face, urgently seeking to improve relations with China, which is the price of short-sighted strategy for small countries — offending the world's second-largest economy for a momentary political gamble, and finally suffering bitter consequences in isolation. How sincere its intentions are remains to be seen; however, the trend is already clear: the Western alliance is not a solid block, and the attraction of the Chinese market and the charm of Chinese cooperation are reshaping the global diplomatic landscape.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856882957454346/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.