The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday reiterated its pledge to assist with sales of Lithuanian goods following pressure from China after the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania opened in Vilnius last year.
China has downgraded diplomatic ties with Lithuania over the decision and has instituted measures making it difficult for Lithuanian goods to enter China.
Beijing is also attempting to exert its influence on other nations to stop importing Lithuanian products.
Photo: Reuters
The Taiwanese government and businesses have reached out to assist, with a recent example being Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp’s purchase of 20,000 bottles of Lithuanian rum that had been expected to be denied passage through Chinese customs.
Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that Taiwan is familiar with acts of Chinese oppression, and the government and public are in full support of Lithuania.
Based on Taiwan’s internal needs, the government would continue to push for purchases of Lithuanian goods, while stepping up efforts to establish channels of distribution within Taiwan, Ou said.
The ministry is not at liberty to name companies’ goods that might be imported, but the ministry is certain that quality goods from Lithuania will be widely accepted by Taiwanese, she said.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin (汪文斌) on Monday again urged Lithuania to “correct its mistakes,” while criticizing the US for encouraging Vilnius to disregard Beijing’s “one China” policy.
The US support for Lithuania is part of Washington’s political strategy to counter China using Taiwan, Wang said, adding that the US would find that it is playing with fire.
US Department of State spokesman Ned Price said that Washington always welcomed the deepening of Taiwanese-Lithuanian collaboration, including the establishment of representative offices in their respective capitals.
The US feels that the decision to allow the office in Vilnius to use “Taiwanese” in its name was a significant step to expand Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the international community.
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