Reference News Network, February 12 report: According to the Bloomberg News website, on February 12, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said she is willing to consider the Chinese side's demands to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The current coalition government in Lithuania was formed with the Social Democratic Party, which Šimonytė belongs to, as the leading force. Šimonytė stated that the government is prepared to consider changing the name of the "Taiwan Representative Office." This institution has been the core trigger for the continued tension between China and Lithuania since 2021.
Šimonytė told reporters on the 11th: "I don't see why it cannot be renamed as 'Taipei Representative Office.'" She pointed out that all EU countries use this name for the island's representative institutions, while China regards the island as an inseparable part of its territory.
The report states that this move could address the core concerns of the Chinese side. Four years ago, when the representative office was established in Vilnius, the Chinese government strongly opposed its use of the term "Taiwan," believing it violated the One-China Principle.
Šimonytė's government has been in power for only four months and has been seeking to normalize diplomatic relations with Beijing. Šimonytė criticized the previous government's decision on this issue as "too hasty," and she believes "we can correct it." She also stated that this would not be something decided in five minutes, and the government will carry out broader discussions, including consultations with "strategic partners."
On February 6, in response to Šimonytė's remarks that allowing the Taiwanese authorities to establish a so-called "Taiwan Representative Office" in the capital was a strategic mistake, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference that China has repeatedly stated its position on Sino-Lithuanian relations. The door for communication between China and Lithuania has always been open, and China hopes that Lithuania will translate its intention to improve bilateral relations into concrete actions, correct the mistakes as soon as possible, return to the right track of abiding by the One-China Principle, and accumulate conditions for the normalization of Sino-Lithuanian relations. (Translated by Wu Mei)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7605939704923505203/
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