Although Lithuania is restoring diplomatic links with China, it would not change the name of Taiwan’s representative office in the nation, a Lithuanian lawmaker was quoted as saying.
In late 2021, Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a representative office in Vilnius under the name “Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania,” leading to China recalling its ambassador, expelling the Lithuanian ambassador to Beijing, and restricting the nation’s access to the Chinese market.
Since taking office, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has expressed interest in restoring diplomatic talks with China, although the name of the office remains a topic of debate.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Paluckas said that Lithuania would not sacrifice its relationship with Taiwan to resume ties with China, nor would the country issue an apology or make concessions, Lithuanian-language news Web site Delfi said.
Asked why China would be willing to resume bilateral relations without concessions, Paluckas said that normal countries maintain relations with each other, and that Lithuania could play a role in China’s larger interests in Europe.
Remigijus Motuzas, chair of the Lithuanian parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, confirmed to the outlet that China signaled a willingness to normalize diplomatic ties just days before a WTO ruling on China’s trade sanctions against Lithuania.
China’s message reportedly made clear that Lithuania must abide by the so-called “one China” principle, which Motuzas said Lithuania has not contravened, as the office is focused on trade and economic exchanges, and is not a diplomatic agency.
Lithuania rebuffed Taipei’s attempts to sign an intergovernmental agreement, as Vilnius does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign country, although it would continue to cooperate on trade and economic matters, Motuzas said.
Some European countries might seek to strengthen exchanges with China in the face of US tariffs, he said.
Lithuania and China held talks about one month ago, in which both sides put forward their conditions and are awaiting a response, he added.
Talks are focused only on restoring ambassador-level diplomatic relations, and Lithuania has no intention of changing the name of the Taiwan representative office, nor of making any concessions, he said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
RSS