Lithuania agrees to establish China’s temporary chargé d’affaires office

Lithuania has agreed to allow China to open a temporary chargé d’affaires office in the country, a year after all Chinese diplomats left, the head of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, Remigijus Motuzas, told Žinių Radijas radio on Tuesday, as reported by LRT.

“A certain step has been taken, perhaps a slight concession to China. We know that the Chinese embassy left Lithuania and proposed establishing a temporary chargé d’affaires office, but we refused. Now, I probably won’t reveal a big secret—Lithuania has proposed that, at this stage, it agrees to establish that temporary chargé d’affaires office,” Motuzas said.

The dispute between Beijing and Vilnius escalated in autumn 2021 after Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a representative office in Vilnius under the name “Taiwanese.” China viewed this as Lithuania’s support for Taiwan’s efforts to act as an independent state. In other countries, such offices operate under the name “Taipei.”

In response, China unilaterally downgraded diplomatic representation from ambassadors to the level of chargé d’affaires, renamed its embassy in Lithuania as the “Chargé d’Affaires Office,” and did the same for Lithuania’s representation in Beijing. Based on this status change, Lithuania refused to issue new accreditations to Chinese diplomats seeking accreditation as working in the “Chargé d’Affaires Office.” As a result, since last May, there have been no Chinese diplomats left in Lithuania.

According to Motuzas, an agreement has now been reached to provide consular assistance, which, he says, has pleased Lithuanian business representatives. Previously, Lithuania did not provide such services to Chinese citizens in protest against China’s actions.

“Now, an agreement has been reached with some EU states, with the approval of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so that Chinese citizens or our citizens living in mixed families who travel to Lithuania can obtain visas in Beijing and other Chinese cities,” Motuzas explained.

“Business is very pleased about this because some Chinese specialists service certain companies or equipment, and so on,” he added.

Motuzas noted that the ball is now in China’s court regarding improving relations. “Lithuania has made a proposal, a slight concession, and now we are waiting for a response from China,” he said.