Lithuania sees progress in normalizing relations with China, says acting foreign minister

Acting Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated that progress is being made in normalizing relations between Lithuania and China, though he emphasized that security remains the country’s top foreign policy priority.

“There is definitely progress. We are working with other EU member states on certain consular services, and there are meetings—this is not forgotten,” Budrys told Žinių Radijas on Thursday. However, he noted that the pace and conditions of normalization depend on factors beyond Lithuania’s control, adding that these developments are known to the Seimas (parliament).

“Among all foreign policy issues, I would stress that security is the most important for us. So that we can continue to do what we do—build our lives, develop our economy, various things, and feel free to live in this world,” Budrys said.

His future in the role has been linked to the China issue. Last week, Budrys shared classified information with the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, stating that the bilateral relationship with China would depend on the new government. Committee chairman Remigijus Motuzas later confirmed that there had been shifts in Lithuania-China relations, with Beijing now willing to meet with Lithuanian representatives.

During government formation, designated Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said he could not guarantee that Budrys would remain foreign minister. President Gitanas Nausėda has also stated that Budrys’s future in the post depends on his ability to normalize relations with China and implement agreements with Taiwan.

ELTA recalls that tensions escalated in late 2021 after Lithuania opened a Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius. China, which considers Taiwan a province with no right to establish diplomatic missions, imposed strict diplomatic and economic sanctions on Lithuania in response. In February 2022, the European Commission filed a complaint with the WTO, accusing China of discriminatory trade practices that reduced Lithuanian exports by 80% that year. However, the EU withdrew the complaint in December 2023. China also officially downgraded diplomatic relations with Lithuania.