Sinkevičius says changing Taiwan office name is premature

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said changing the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius was premature before talks with Chinese diplomats, LRT reported Monday. He said Lithuania was open to direct discussions with Beijing without preconditions.

“I think it is still too early, because the talks have not taken place,” Sinkevičius told reporters. Chinese representatives are expected to meet officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this week.

The prime minister was asked whether changing the office’s name would be justified as a way to restore diplomatic representation between Lithuania and China. The Delfi news portal reported Monday that the ministry had asked the office in September to change its name. Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys described media reports about the request as inaccurately presented and declined to comment.

Sinkevičius said the foreign ministry was coordinating the process as part of the government’s commitment to restore diplomatic representation. “Diplomatic relations have not been severed, but diplomatic representation has been interrupted,” he said.

He said he did not yet know what would be discussed or whether either side would make requests, adding that Lithuania was willing to talk without setting conditions. He rejected claims that the ministry had pressured the Taiwanese office, saying the issue was being exaggerated.

Opposition politicians said they were shocked by reports that Lithuania had urged Taiwan to change the office’s name, arguing that such a move would harm the country. Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the Nemuno Aušra party, proposed setting up a temporary parliamentary commission to investigate alleged pressure from the foreign ministry.

The Taiwanese Representative Office said in a statement on November 6 that cooperation with Lithuania was based on mutual respect, shared interests, transparency and partnership. It had also told the 15min news portal that it did not intend to change its name.

Lithuania’s relations with China deteriorated in autumn 2021, when the Taiwanese Representative Office opened in Vilnius. China strongly opposes expressions of Taiwanese statehood and responded to the decision by unilaterally reducing diplomatic representation.