Lithuania's bet against China does not serve its own interests

Editor's note: Xin Ping is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News, CGTN, Global Times, China Daily, etc. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Lithuania has been known for its fine amber, the "Lithuanian gold." In recent years, it has repeatedly made international headlines for something different: going against the international consensus on its own long-standing commitment to the one-China principle.

Sovereignty is non-negotiable

China and Lithuania enjoyed good relations after the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1991. But the relationship soured when Lithuania suddenly decided to allow China's Taiwan region to open a de facto embassy in the country under the name of "Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania" in 2021 and then opened a so-called Lithuanian Trade Representative Office in Taiwan the next year.

These moves, effectively creating the impression that Taiwan is not part of China, have breached the one-China principle Lithuania committed itself to when entering into diplomatic ties with China and flagrantly violated China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Sovereignty is non-negotiable. China responded by downgrading its diplomatic ties with Lithuania to the level of charge d'affaires level, as the political foundation for diplomatic relations at the full ambassadorial level had been seriously damaged.

Ample historical records show that Taiwan has been part of China's territory since ancient times, and the Chinese central government was already exercising jurisdiction over the island as early as the mid-12th century.

Due to the civil war in China in the late 1940s and the interference of external forces, the two sides across the Taiwan Straits have been in a state of protracted political confrontation. But Taiwan's status as part of the Chinese territory has never changed, nor have the sovereignty and territory of China ever been divided.

When the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 2758 in 1971, restoring all China's rights at the UN to the People's Republic of China and recognizing its government's representatives as the only legitimate representatives of China to the UN, the one-China principle was reaffirmed. This principle is the basis of China's diplomatic relations with over 180 countries, including Lithuania, and has been widely accepted as a basic norm governing international relations and a prevailing consensus of the international community.

There's the rub

What motivated Vilnius to deviate from its long-held one-China principle? Some Lithuanian scholars were very straightforward: "It was done to open doors for Lithuania in the Pentagon and the White House."

It is unclear whether those doors were actually opened. But the damage to ordinary people's interests was real. As political relations went south, so did economic ties, as businesses sought to avoid political risks. Lithuanian National Bank's statistics reveal that Lithuania's diplomatic rift with China potentially cut its GDP growth by 0.1 to 0.5 percent in 2022 and 0.3 to 1.3 percent in 2023. 

People's interests should come first

The people's interests should be at the heart of a country's diplomacy. Not the political agenda of another country.

A study presented by the Eastern Europe Studies Center shows that the general public of Lithuania would prefer friendly and pragmatic ties with China – 63.3 percent of Lithuanians surveyed believe that their country should not interfere in China's internal affairs and almost half see China as a profitable market, while only 22.7 percent believe support for Taiwan brings some economic benefits.

In fact, the Chinese and Lithuanian people have always enjoyed warm friendship. Lithuanians fleeing the horrors of war in Europe in the 20th century found peace and a second home in China's northeastern city of Harbin, building a Lithuanian community there and bringing their own culture to the city.

A most delicious example is the Harbin red sausage, made the Lithuanian way and enormously popular with the locals. Economic partnerships between Chinese and Lithuanians had also been vibrant and fruitful, until a few politicians turned their back on China. It is the will and wish of the two peoples to see bilateral ties return to normal.

Lithuania's political moves were not without domestic criticism. Many, including some senior political figures, see the opening of the "Taiwanese office" as a mistake and urge normalizing ties with China. More recently, the Speaker of Lithuania's Seimas Saulius Skvernelis expressed the belief that Lithuania should restore diplomatic ties with China to the ambassadorial level and follow the same position it had been following before.

While China's policy toward Lithuania is consistent and clear-cut, there have been flip-flops and self-contradictions in Lithuania's China policy. It is incumbent on Lithuania to take concrete actions to undo the damage and put bilateral relations back on track.

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