VILNIUS, LITHUANIA – Taiwan opened a representative office in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Thursday, in a move that angered Beijing.
The self-governing island and Lithuania agreed in July that the Vilnius office would bear the name Taiwan instead of Chinese Taipei – a term commonly used in other countries so as not to offend Beijing.
China says that Taiwan is part of its territory and has no right to diplomatic recognition, although the island maintains informal relations with all major countries through active trade offices. act as de facto embassies, including in the United States and Japan.
Chinese pressure has reduced Taiwan’s official diplomatic allies to just 15.
“We seek closer ties with the entire Asia and Indo-Pacific region. Lithuania opened an embassy in Australia recently, another will open in South Korea and may also set up a representative office in Taipei in the future,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told reporters on Thursday.
Landsbergis has yet to receive a response from China.
Plans to open a Taiwan office in Vilnius prompted China this summer to recall its ambassador from Vilnius and demand that Lithuania withdraw its envoy to Beijing.
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