Lithuania in talks with China to restore diplomatic relations

Lithuania is currently in discussions with China to restore diplomatic relations, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė told parliament on Thursday, as reported by LRT and BNS.

“At present, talks are ongoing, and no concrete actions have been taken yet,” Ruginienė said in response to a question from MP Žygimantas Pavilionis.

The prime minister neither confirmed nor denied a claim by Remigijus Motuzas, chair of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, that Lithuania had agreed to allow China to open a chargé d’affaires office in Vilnius.

Ruginienė emphasised that the government is implementing its programme’s goal to restore diplomatic representation with China to the level seen in other EU member states. She noted that Lithuania does not seek to build friendship with China but that diplomatic representation would help resolve practical bilateral issues, such as those related to citizen travel.

Tensions between Beijing and Vilnius escalated in autumn 2021 after Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a representative office in the capital under the name “Taiwanese Representative Office.” 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 chargé d’affaires, renamed its embassy in Lithuania as the “Chargé d’Affaires Office,” and did the same for Lithuania’s representation in Beijing. Lithuania, refusing to recognise such offices, declined to issue new accreditations to Chinese diplomats seeking to work at the “Chargé d’Affaires Office.” As a result, no Chinese diplomats have remained in Lithuania since last May.

On Wednesday, Motuzas told Žinių Radio that Lithuania and China had already agreed on providing consular assistance, and that further negotiations would see a representative from Beijing visit Vilnius at some point.