Lithuanian MP warns US could see shift in Taiwan stance as Chinese victory

Lithuania’s changing position on Taiwan risks being interpreted by the US as a concession to China, MP Dovilė Šakalienė warned in an interview with the state news agency ELTA on Tuesday.

Šakalienė, who recently returned from a visit to Taiwan where she met with senior officials, said ambiguity in Lithuania’s current stance has created tensions, while proposals to rename Taiwan’s representative office in Vilnius have caused concern among Taiwanese officials. She stressed that overlooking US policy on Taiwan—or ignoring Taipei’s strategic importance—would be a miscalculation.

“This government intends to remain pro-American, so it should take into account the political processes unfolding in the US regarding Taiwan,” Šakalienė said. “Even without deep expertise in global geopolitical tensions, the broader context should be clear. In my view, it would be meaningful to maintain warm relations with Taiwan rather than assessing everything solely through narrow economic metrics, such as Taiwanese investments in isolation.”

The former defence minister, now a reserve member of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), acknowledged her party’s difficult position, adding that while it would be unethical to criticise Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, she noted the consequences of supporting Inga Ruginienė’s ambitions in foreign policy. “We ourselves yielded to an overly active desire from a newcomer in politics and the party to become prime minister—now we must live with the results,” she said.

Šakalienė defended her participation in March’s Yushan Forum in Taipei, arguing that boycotting a geopolitical and security event simply because it was held in Taiwan would be illogical. “If I attend the Warsaw Security Forum, the Munich Security Conference, or the Shangri-La Dialogue, why should I avoid the Yushan Forum? We must see the full picture,” she said. “Taiwan is not isolated from global geopolitical processes, and neither are we.”

She emphasised the deep US-Taiwan relationship, which remains strategically vital for Washington due to Taiwan’s geographic location and semiconductor industry. Recent moves by the US administration—such as the January 2026 bilateral trade agreement (ART), which eliminates or reduces tariffs on 99% of US goods exported to Taiwan, and a record $11 billion arms deal approved by Taiwan’s parliament in March—demonstrate the strength of these ties.

“The US-Taiwan relationship is not weakening; in fact, it is becoming more institutionalised,” Šakalienė said, citing the arms package and drone production agreements as evidence of deeper defence and export control integration between Washington and Taipei.