Lithuania plans to open a representative office in Taiwan in September, one of its deputy ministers said yesterday, part of a bolstering of ties with the nation that has infuriated China and led to exports falling to almost zero.
Lithuania has come under sustained pressure from China to reverse a decision last year to allow Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in the capital, Vilnius, under its own name.
China has downgraded diplomatic relations with Lithuania and pressured multinationals to sever ties with it, while urging it to correct its “mistakes.”
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Lithuanian Vice Minister of the Economy and Innovation Jovita Neliupsiene said Lithuania hoped its reciprocal office in Taiwan would open “as of September,” adding that she had scouted out some locations during her visit.
A Lithuanian delegation led by Neliupsiene arrived in Taiwan on Sunday on a four-day visit.
Taiwan has stepped up its food imports from Lithuania — most recently rum — to help ease the impact of Chinese curbs on Lithuanian goods such as beer, dairy and beef.
China had been an important export partner, but Lithuania’s exports to China in the first quarter had fallen to “close to zero,” compared with last year, Neliupsiene said.
“Of course, it’s very painful for certain sectors, for certain businesses and certain parts of the economy,” she said.
However, Neliupsiene said the value of direct exports to China last year — 240 million euros (US$250 million) — could be made up in other markets, such as Taiwan or elsewhere in Asia.
“One of the policies this government, our government, pursues is actually the policy of diversification,” she said. “I do believe that finding good, solid, trusted and reliable partners in Taiwan and in other Indo-Pacific countries will be even more beneficial to us than before.”
Lithuania is a member of the EU, which in January launched a challenge at the WTO, accusing China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania and arguing that the move threatens the integrity of the bloc’s single market.
Neliupsiene said a business delegation made up of representatives from the Lithuanian biotech and laser sectors would also visit Taiwan in September.
The Lithuanian government is accepting applications for the first head of the Lithuanian trade office in Taiwan, she told a news conference in Taipei as she wrapped up the delegation’s four-day visit.
Additional reporting by CNA
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