US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser on Monday spoke to the Lithuanian prime minister and stressed support for her nation in the face of pressure from China over what Taiwan’s representative office is called in Vilnius.
China demanded last month that Lithuania withdraw its ambassador to Beijing and said it would recall China’s envoy to Vilnius after Taiwan announced that its mission in Vilnius would be called the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania.
Other Taiwanese missions in Europe and the US use the name “Taipei,” avoiding a reference to the nation itself.
Photo: EPA-EFE
A White House statement on Monday said that US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte “affirming the strength of our bilateral ties.”
It said they discussed efforts to deepen economic, diplomatic and defense cooperation, and Sullivan “reaffirmed strong US support for Lithuania as it faces attempted coercion from the People’s Republic of China.”
Earlier this month, Lithuania, a member of NATO, said that it had recalled its ambassador from Beijing for consultations, but its embassy in China was still working normally.
Lithuania last month said that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with the Lithuanian minister of foreign affairs on Aug. 21 and agreed on “bilateral coordinated action” to help the nation withstand pressure from China.
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