Lithuania seeks to normalise political relations with China

Lithuania aims to normalise its political relations with China, President Gitanas Nausėda said in an interview with Bloomberg, as reported by ELTA.

Nausėda stated that Lithuania would like to restore diplomatic ties, which were severed a few years ago, and expressed hope that progress could be made within the next six months regarding the re-establishment of diplomatic missions in Vilnius and Beijing.

“It is not normal for two countries not to have diplomatic representations in Beijing or Vilnius. We are in the process now, and I hope we will achieve results in the next six months,” the president said.

Earlier this week, Remigijus Motuzas, the chairman of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, announced Lithuania’s proposal to China to open a temporary chargé d’affaires office in Vilnius. Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys neither confirmed nor denied the report, stating that the committee is informed of actions taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Some opposition members, including conservative Žygimantas Pavilionis, vice-chairman of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, have criticised the move as a concession to Beijing, noting that the issue was not discussed in the committee.

In the Bloomberg interview, Nausėda also emphasised the need for Lithuania to enhance its global competitiveness and diversify its trade partners. “When looking for trade markets, we must turn to the United States and like-minded countries. And, of course, we must do a lot ourselves to become more competitive,” he said.

“It is important for Lithuania to find solutions that reduce the European Union’s dependence on China,” the president added.

Relations between Lithuania and China deteriorated in late 2021 after Lithuania allowed the opening of a Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius. Beijing considers Taiwan a Chinese province with no right to establish diplomatic missions in countries with which China maintains official relations.

In response, China imposed strict diplomatic and economic sanctions on Lithuania. In February 2022, the European Commission filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO), alleging that China’s trade restrictions—ostensibly introduced for hygiene reasons—had reduced Lithuanian exports by 80% that year. However, in December 2023, the EU decided to withdraw the complaint from the WTO.

Amid ongoing tensions, China’s Foreign Ministry also officially downgraded its diplomatic relations with Lithuania. Recently, discussions have resumed among Lithuanian politicians about the country’s foreign policy toward China, with some Social Democrats advocating for warmer ties, while Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has mentioned the possibility of changing the name of the Taiwanese representative office to “Taipei”.

Nausėda has previously stated that Lithuania could restore diplomatic relations with China at the chargé d’affaires level if Beijing agrees.