Furious at Lithuania for allowing Taiwan to open a representative office, China on Sunday downgraded diplomatic ties with it to the level of char d’affaires, a move that further damaged Beijing’s ties with the European Union. Because with less than the smaller Baltic nation. The population of three million is an influential member of the block.
“There is only one China in the world and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legal government representing the whole of China,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
It states that the One China Principle is the broad consensus of the international community, a widely recognized norm governing international relations and the political basis for China and Lithuania to develop bilateral relations.
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“Sadly, Lithuania has chosen to ignore China’s dire situation and disregard the broader interests of bilateral relations and the basic norms governing international relations. It established a ‘Representative Office’ in Lithuania under the name of Taiwan. The establishment has been permitted, thus setting a serious precedent in the world,” the statement said.
“The Chinese government, out of the need to protect national sovereignty and the basic norms governing international relations, has no choice but to downgrade its diplomatic relations with Lithuania to char d’affaires level. Consequences will have to be faced,” it said.
In diplomatic parlance, the char d’affaires means that the embassy will be headed by a head of mission in the ambassador’s absence. China has already withdrawn its envoy from Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
“The downgrade means a serious blow to China-Lithuania diplomatic relations, as the char d’affaires do not have absolute authority compared to ambassadors. This indicates that the power of diplomats in both countries will be very limited and affected,” said Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times.
A similar decision can be traced back to as early as May 5, 1981, when China downgraded bilateral diplomatic relations with the Dutch government to char d’affaires level after the Netherlands approved the sale of a submarine to Taiwan. Was.
Observers say China fears Lithuania’s move could prompt other EU and smaller countries to resort to similar action.
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At the same time, Beijing has also warned Taiwan.
“We also have this stern warning to the Taiwanese authorities: Taiwan is never a country. No matter how the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces try to misrepresent facts and confuse black and white, The historical fact that the mainland and Taiwan belong to the same China and the same China cannot be changed. Attempts to seek foreign support for political manipulation will prove to be a dead end,” the statement said.
China, which claims Taiwan as part of the mainland and has escalated tensions in recent weeks by sending more than 200 military aircraft into Taiwan’s Air Identification Defense Zone (ADIZ), over its decision to allow Taiwan Has been at loggerheads with Lithuania for the past few months. Open your representative office.
Beijing recalled its ambassador from Vilnius in August and also asked Lithuania to recall its envoy from China.
However, fearless, Lithuania went ahead and allowed the opening of the Taiwan Representative Office, which is believed to be a de facto embassy, prompting Beijing to warn Vilnius of dire consequences.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian warned last Friday that “the Lithuanian side will be responsible for all ensuing consequences” and that it will “reap what it sows”.
It all started in May when Lithuania withdrew from the Beijing-led 17+1 cooperation forum with Central and Eastern European states, calling it “divisive”.
As he prepared for a diplomatic showdown with China, he moved closer to the US, which for its part has extended support for Taiwan to defend its independent identity from China and address threats to the defense.
Lithuanian Economy Minister Osrin Armonite said on Thursday that his country would sign a USD 600 million export credit agreement with the US Export-Import Bank as part of “bilateral coordinated action” to counter Beijing’s economic influence.
Beijing’s conflict with Lithuania comes at a sensitive time when China’s lucrative ties with the European Union are under strain over allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet by the communist giant in Brussels.
Earlier, the European Union has backed out of approving the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) as it backed US President Joe Biden’s call for joint opposition to Beijing’s policies on Xinjiang, Hong Kong and the coronavirus. called for an inquiry into the origins of This also includes its possible leak from a bio-lab in Wuhan.
Lithuania joined other EU members, Belgium and Poland, in opposing the Sino-EU trade deal, which was seen as a major setback for Beijing. Trade between China and the EU stood at USD 709 billion in 2020, surpassing that of USD 671 billion between China and the US.
Also, the 16-year rule of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, regarded as a staunch supporter of the EU’s closer trade ties with China, comes to an end as she leaves the leadership of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU). are going away. ,
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