China warns Lithuania to keep away from ‘great power’ rivalry in Taiwanese office row
- Lithuania sacrificed own interest in being ‘instigated by some great power’, Chinese foreign ministry says in veiled reference to the US
- Beijing is watching to see if Lithuania plans to ‘continue down this path to ruin’, ministry spokesman says
Lithuania had been “instigated by some great power”, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday in a veiled reference to the United States, as he called on Vilnius to “correct its mistakes”.
The opening of the “Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania”, using the name of the island, was a departure from Taipei’s usual diplomatic practice. Beijing said this violated the one-China policy.
“The obvious reason that Lithuania has come to this state is that it has been instigated by some major country, and Lithuania has therefore sacrificed its own interests,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.
“We call on other countries to prioritise their own interests, uphold international justice, and not be manipulated by a certain major country and become entangled in pointless confrontation.”
