Vėgėlė says Brussels meeting with Chinese representatives was constructive

Seimas member Ignas Vėgėlė said a two-hour meeting with Chinese representatives in Brussels was constructive and sincere, LRT reported, citing BNS. He did not disclose further details, saying he would provide more information on Thursday.

“We discussed a wide range of topics during the two hours,” Vėgėlė told BNS on Tuesday. He said the meeting included assessments, questions for discussion and ideas, and could help achieve the goal of restoring diplomatic representation between Lithuania and China and normalising relations.

The meeting was attended by Fang Mei, an adviser to China’s mission to the European Union, Vėgėlė said.

Vėgėlė travelled to Brussels with fellow Seimas member Jonas Jankūnas, who is part of the parliamentary group seeking to normalise diplomatic relations with China. The Seimas board rejected their request for half of the trip’s expenses to be covered by official travel funding and the other half by parliamentary funds. Vėgėlė said he travelled at his own expense.

The six-member parliamentary group was established in December last year to examine and remove obstacles to restoring diplomatic relations with China to the level maintained by most European Union member states.

The Presidential Office said on Tuesday that Seimas members meeting Chinese representatives do not represent Lithuania’s position. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has also said that some parliamentary initiatives may not help Vilnius restore relations with Beijing.

Lithuania’s bilateral relations with China deteriorated in 2021 after Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a representative office in the country.