Lithuanian parliamentarian Matas Maldeikis on Tuesday said that he is planning to lead a cross-party delegation on a visit to Taiwan one week after the nation’s presidential elections, with the aim of showcasing the strong relations between the two sides.
Maldeikis, who heads the Lithuanian Parliamentary Group for Relations with Taiwan, said in an interview with Lithuanian news agency ELTA that the visit is scheduled for Saturday to Jan. 26 and is likely to mark the first meeting of foreign officials with Taiwan’s president-elect in the wake of yesterday’s elections.
According to a Financial Times report on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden is also preparing to send two high-level delegations of former officials to Taipei shortly after the elections to convey the importance of the US-Taiwan partnership, amid tensions with Beijing.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
At a press briefing in Washington on Wednesday, a senior Biden administration official told reporters that sending an unofficial delegation to Taiwan is consistent with Washington’s “one China policy, consistent with the status quo, and timed after the election to ensure that we’re not endorsing one candidate or one party over the other.”
Meanwhile, Maldeikis said that his trip to Taiwan might trigger negative reactions from Beijing, but he was not particularly worried about that.
China did everything possible to attack Lithuania, but the Baltic country made it through, and even prevailed in a trade dispute with Beijing, he said.
Beijing is expected to issue a statement condemning the Lithuanian delegation’s visit to Taiwan, but the “people are used to it,” Maldeikis said.
If China launches more balloons over Taiwan, “we can enjoy watching [them] flying over,” he said.
The Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania on Thursday said that the cross-party delegation is likely aimed at showcasing Lithuania’s support for Taiwan’s democracy and freedom.
A source familiar with the matter said the vice speaker of the Lithuanian parliament is expected to be part of the delegation.
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