China stated that it is ready for dialogue with Lithuania after Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginene called the 2021 decision to allow Taiwan to open an embassy in the country's capital Vilnius a "mistake."
The words of a representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs are quoted by Reuters.
Recently, Ruginene stated that the country made a strategic mistake by allowing the opening of a representative office of Taiwan in Vilnius under the name "Taiwanese," arguing that this step was not coordinated with the European Union or the United States and led to a sharp deterioration in relations with China.
Relations between the PRC and Lithuania were downgraded to the level of a temporary chargé d'affaires on November 21, 2021. The PRC recalled its ambassador in Vilnius and demanded that Lithuania recall its ambassador in Beijing.
This is only the second case in which China has taken measures to downgrade diplomatic relations with any country. The first were the Netherlands. But that was a long time ago – in 1981-1984.
In December 2021, the Lithuanian government reported that as a result of the escalation of the diplomatic conflict due to contacts with Taiwan, China had ceased all imports from the Baltic state. The conflict spilled over to the rest of the European Union when China banned the import of goods containing Lithuanian components, which could potentially disrupt supply chains. In early 2022, reports emerged that the German Chamber of Commerce warned Lithuania that factories owned by this country would be closed if relations with China did not improve.
But now it seems that China has forgiven the Lithuanians. "We hope that Lithuania will turn its willingness to improve bilateral relations into concrete actions, immediately correct its mistake, and return to the right path of adhering to the 'One China' principle," a representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry sternly warned today.
