Lithuania President Rebukes Government Over China Trade Spat

[Daniel808]

Lithuania President Rebukes Government Over China Trade Spat
Milda Seputyte 04:11 PM IST, 04 Jan 2022 09:32 PM IST


(Bloomberg) -- Lithuania’s president said the government’s decision to allow Taiwan to open a representative office using the island’s name was a mistake, wading into a controversy that’s upended the Baltic nation’s relationship with China.

The criticism by the head of state, Gitanas Nauseda, opens a rift in the country’s leadership after tensions between China and Lithuania triggered a high-level trade dispute between Beijing and the European Union. Taiwan opened the office in the capital, Vilnius, in November under the name of Taiwan, a move viewed by the Chinese government as a violation of its one-China principle.

Nauseda, who oversees foreign policy and represents Lithuania at EU summits, said both Lithuania and Taiwan are free to open representative offices that hold no diplomatic status and regretted that “the name of the office has become the key factor that now affects relations with China.”

I would think that, not the opening of the Taiwanese office, but the name of it was the mistake, something with which I wasn’t consulted,” Nauseda said in the interview with radio station Ziniu Radijas on Tuesday.

China responded to the opening by downgrading diplomatic ties with Lithuania, recalling its ambassador and allegedly halting clearance for Lithuanian exports, which prompted the EU to raise the dispute with the World Trade Organization. China has denied it’s blocking Lithuania’s exports.

Lithuania pulled out its diplomats from its embassy in Beijing in December after the Chinese Foreign Ministry demanded the return of the envoys’ diplomatic identification cards.

Lithuania pulled out its diplomats from its embassy in Beijing in December after the Chinese Foreign Ministry demanded the return of the envoys’ diplomatic identification cards.


On Tuesday, the Lithuanian Confederation Industrialists, the country’s largest business association, said it’s seeking assistance from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in talks with China over halted shipments in ports and economic coercion.


Some 130 companies are unable to clear shipments through Chinese customs or redirect cargo, while multinational companies are pressured to end cooperation with Lithuania or risk restrictions at Chinese customs, the association said.

https://www.bloombergquint.com/shell.html

https://twitter.com/x/status/1478337710532222990

For Lithuania’s President to come out and openly say they made a mistake over this Taiwan row is a huge, huge victory for China.

Despite all the cries of "economic coercion" and "standing with Lithuania"- China's overwhelming retaliation worked, consequence free

https://twitter.com/x/status/1478346163409817601

 

[Shotgunner51]

I thought EU is weighing measures against China? And it was just yesterday when ...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1478179303468769281

 

[nang2]

Don't get too excited about it. The president of Lithuania is like the governor general of Canada, more a symbol than a power figure.

 

[mudas777]

Don't get too excited about it. The president of Lithuania is like the governor general of Canada, more a symbol than a power figure.

He is still president of the country accepting mistake is the first step other may follow latter. That's why they say money talks and shit walks.

 

[Shotgunner51]

Don't get too excited about it. The president of Lithuania is like the governor general of Canada, more a symbol than a power figure.

Agree, in fact got disappointed about it, hope this figurehead won't interrupt the whole show, it's just the beginning.

EU leaders weigh new measures against China’s economic attack on Lithuania - Washington Examiner

China’s economic pressure on Lithuania represents a major threat to “the most sacred part” of the European Union, according to a senior German politician, and raises the likelihood that the European countries will wind down economic relations with the truculent communist power.“What the Chinese...

www.washingtonexaminer.com

 

[Stranagor]

So when the US rapist military goes to other countries, kills people in their homes while at sleep, bombs into pieces wedding convoys, runs torture chambers for decades, this is not aggression.

But, when China economically retaliates (and softly and mildly in that) against an open breach of diplomatic agreements between two sovereign states by an irrelevant piece of government, the US-abused West begins to kick, scream, scratch and roll eyes at aggression.

If they think this is being violated, they better never dare to even imagine a military response.

Don't get too excited about it. The president of Lithuania is like the governor general of Canada, more a symbol than a power figure.

He should not interfere. I like to see these small pseudo fascist regimes to feel betrayal by their leash holders.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Don't get too excited about it. The president of Lithuania is like the governor general of Canada, more a symbol than a power figure.

He said using the name "Taiwanese" vs "Chinese Taipei" was the mistake...not the opening of the office. This is not like Nicaragua where they had their office closed.

 

[Stranagor]

He said using the name "Taiwanese" vs "Chinese Taipei" was the mistake...not the opening of the office. This is not like Nicaragua where they had their office closed.

Nicaragua made Taiwan close down its Embassy. It can still open a trade/culture office.

The one in Lithuania is still not an embassy, but a representative office. The detail is in the syntax. Lithuania still has diplomatic relations with PRC, not ROC.

Taiwan has cultural and trade offices all over the world. China even allowed them to join the APEC as Chinese Taipei.

What Lithuania has done was like half-hearted prostitution. They still recognize one-China principle (Otherwise, no diplomatic relations are possible with the PRC), but, weirdly, renamed the Taipei office as Taiwanese office (not even 'Taiwan' office, in English).

They simply made things unnecessarily complicated for themselves. If they really cared about ''o! ye 'tis democracy,'' they could have simply done a reverse Nicaragua.

Sometimes, my faith in evolution falters.

 

[MH.Yang]

When establishing diplomatic relations with China, any country first has declared that it will abide by the "One China principle".
When any government comes to power to visit China, it will restate the "One China principle".
This is actually a contract, they will abide by the "One China principle" in exchange for establishing diplomatic relations with China.
If you recognize the "One China principle", then the Taiwan issue is China's internal affairs. The establishment of diplomatic relations with Taiwan is tantamount to interference in China's internal affairs, not China's interference in your internal affairs.
If you do not recognize the "One China principle", it means that you are tearing up the contract signed when establishing diplomatic relations, so you should break off diplomatic relations with China first.

Lithuania's behavior is tantamount to violating its initial diplomatic contract with China. It is lawful and reasonable for China to cut off diplomatic and trade exchanges with Lithuania in accordance with the contract.

 

[Daniel808]

I thought EU is weighing measures against China? And it was just yesterday when ...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1478179303468769281

Lithuanians think they got full support from US & EU, their location is far away from China, and their export to China also very small.

So they think, China cannot do anything to them


But they don’t realize, that hundreds companies that have factories in Lithuania also operating in China & export their products to Chinese market.


When China sanction lithuania, of course those companies would choose China over lithuania. They panicked like little chicken.

Meanwhile US & EU only do lip service & trying to save their own a$$. So their companies operating in China not affected by China’s sanctions.

What a pity little lapdog

 

[kankan326]

No real action from Lithuania yet. Too early to celebrate

 

[Daniel808]

No real action from Lithuania yet. Too early to celebrate

The office already there, it’s hard to imagine the office get closed.

But for Lithuania’s President to come out and openly say they made a mistake over this Taiwan row is still a huge victory for China in Diplomatic arena.

It would makes other country that have plan to follow lithuania’s step think 10,000 times before do anything stupid regarding China.

The balls now on China’s side, to forgive them or keep up with the sanctions

But seeing the current situation, I believe China’s will keep up with the sanctions to give example for others

 

[K_Bin_W]

Since Chinese economy is growing and if keeps the momentum I am pretty sure it will reach a point where it will be in a position to Sanctions west.

 

[tower9]

Let's get real, he knew what they were doing. They were testing the waters on behalf of the US State Dept. Then he found out that there were real world consequences and is now regretting the charade.

 

[kankan326]

Since Chinese economy is growing and if keeps the momentum I am pretty sure it will reach a point where it will be in a position to Sanctions west.

Last year when some US politicians were sanctioned by China over Hongkong issue, these politicians said they don't care. China's sanction will become more and more painful. For sure