China signals readiness for talks after Lithuania calls Taiwan office a strategic mistake
China has said it remains open to dialogue with Lithuania following remarks by the Baltic country’s prime minister describing the 2021 decision to allow Taiwan to open a representative office in Vilnius under the name Taiwanese as a strategic error. The statement marks a potential opening after years of strained relations triggered by the move, which Beijing viewed as a direct challenge to its one China principle.
Speaking at a regular press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the door to communication between China and Lithuania remained open. He urged Vilnius to turn its stated desire to improve bilateral relations into concrete actions, correct what Beijing sees as a serious misstep, return to adherence to the one China principle, and lay the groundwork for restoring normal relations between the two countries.
The comments came after Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė acknowledged in an interview that her government had begun taking initial steps to rebuild ties with Beijing. She offered an unusually candid assessment of the fallout from the Taiwan office decision, saying Lithuania had misjudged the international response and overestimated the benefits of acting first. According to Ruginienė, the expectation that such a move would be widely welcomed proved unfounded, leaving her country isolated rather than supported.
Unlike most Taiwanese representative offices abroad, which use the name Taipei to avoid implying statehood, the Vilnius office adopted the label Taiwanese. China interpreted this as a violation of its core diplomatic red line and responded forcefully, downgrading relations with Lithuania at the end of 2021. The standoff deepened over time as diplomatic ties deteriorated further.
Lithuania recalled its ambassador from Beijing, and by late 2024 expelled three Chinese diplomats for breaching diplomatic norms. In May 2025, the last remaining Chinese diplomat was denied entry to Lithuania, leaving Beijing without accredited diplomatic staff in the country. Economic pressure followed. In August 2025, China sanctioned two Lithuanian banks, UAB Urbo Bankas and AB Mano Bankas, barring them from transactions with Chinese entities. Although the measures were framed as retaliation for European Union sanctions on Chinese financial institutions linked to Russia, analysts noted that Lithuania appeared to be deliberately targeted amid unresolved bilateral tensions.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry responded by reaffirming that Taiwan and Lithuania are important partners sharing common values of freedom and democracy. It said both sides had agreed on the name of the representative office and would continue to strengthen cooperation despite Lithuania’s reassessment of its earlier decision.
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