Lithuania considers modifying Taiwan representation name to defuse diplomatic row with Beijing

Officials suggest changing office name to refer to ‘Taiwanese people’ rather than Taiwan to mend Vilnius-Beijing rift
A single gesture will not change Beijing’s attitude on the issue, says observer

China-EU relations

Reuters

Published: 2:39pm, 26 Jan 2022

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Lithuanian officials, seeking to defuse a row with Beijing, are discussing whether to ask their Taiwanese counterparts to modify the Chinese translation of the name of Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Vilnius, two sources told Reuters.

The self-ruled island that Beijing views as part of its territory has other offices in Europe and the United States but they use the name of the city Taipei, avoiding reference to the island itself.

The row erupted after the Baltic state allowed the opening of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius.

02:17

‘One China’ explained

China has downgraded its diplomatic relationship with Lithuania and pressed multinationals to sever ties with the country or face exclusion from its market.

That is an unusually harsh move that has dragged companies into a political dispute and placed Beijing on a collision course with the European Union.

Modifying the Chinese version of the representation name to refer to “Taiwanese people” rather than to Taiwan, was last week proposed by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis to President Gitanas Nauseda as a way to reduce the tensions with Beijing, sources said.

The change, which would bring the name in line with those used in Lithuanian and English, would need Taiwan’s agreement.

The president’s office refused to comment. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not reply to a request for comment.

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It was not possible for any single gesture by Lithuania to change China’s attitude, said Linas Kojala, who heads the Vilnius Eastern Europe Studies Centre think tank.

“The government probably wants to emphasise that the office represents not Taiwan as a political entity, but the Taiwanese people with whom Lithuania wants to establish cultural, economic and other relationships,” he said.

Chinese tabloid newspaper Global Times published an article on Saturday saying “it will take much more than just renaming the office” for Lithuania to mend its relationship with China.

“Lithuania needs to make substantial adjustments to its overall China policy, rather than completely follow the US’ agenda,” said the article in Global Times, which is published by People’s Daily, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party.