A Chinese language spokesperson accused the USA of supporting Lithuania in its recognition of Taiwan as impartial from China.

Lithuania opened a Taiwanese consultant workplace in its capital, Vilnius, below the identify Taiwan in November. To appease China, most international locations open workplaces below the identify Taipei. Lithuania grew to become the primary European Union nation to let Taiwan use its personal identify in a consultant workplace, the BBC reported.

This upset the Chinese language authorities, with Lithuanian and American officers reporting China has blocked imports from Lithuania ever for the reason that Taiwan workplace opened.

Chinese language Ministry of International Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin stated the U.S. contributed to Lithuania's actions.

"The US has instigated the Lithuanian authorities to undermine the 'one-China precept,'" Wenbin stated. "It has supported, aided and abetted them in going additional down the unsuitable path to realize its political calculations to include China."

The BBC reported that Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda expressed fear final week in regards to the determination, telling a neighborhood information outlet "I feel it was not the opening of the Taiwanese workplace that was a mistake, it was its identify, which was not coordinated with me."

Nonetheless, whereas the president confirmed doubt, the Lithuanian Ministry of International Affairs instructed the BBC in a press release that it "stands agency" in its determination to open the workplace.

Taiwan has been dominated independently of China since 1949. Nonetheless, China views Taiwan as a part of its territory. Chinese language officers seek advice from this view because the one-China precept. In response to the Council on International Relations, a nonprofit overseas coverage suppose tank, China promised to finally "unify" the island of Taiwan with mainland China.

The Chinese language authorities thought Taiwan had agreed to the one-China precept within the 1992 Consensus and makes use of it to insist Taiwan ought to know its place as part of China. Nonetheless, the 2 sides can not agree on what the 1992 Consensus meant, with Taiwan's ruling social gathering on the time saying it meant "one China, completely different interpretations," the CFR reported.

Taiwan office, Lithuania
China stated the U.S. incited Lithuanian officers into going in opposition to the one-China precept and letting Taiwan open a consultant workplace in its capital below the identify Taiwan, not Taipei. Right here, this image taken on November 18, 2021 reveals the foyer of the Taiwanese Consultant Workplace with flowers in Lithuania, Vilnius.Photograph by Petras Malukas/AFP through Getty Photographs

In a telephone name final week, U.S. Commerce Consultant Katherine Tai expressed "sturdy assist" to a European official for Lithuania "within the face of financial coercion," Tai's workplace stated on its web site.

The U.S. and most different governments, together with Lithuania, have diplomatic relations solely with Beijing however preserve business and casual political ties with Taiwan's democratically elected authorities. Most governments acquiesce to Chinese language strain by requiring Taiwanese entities to function below the identify Chinese language Taipei.

Beijing retaliated for Lithuania's transfer by expelling the Lithuanian ambassador. Lithuania has closed its embassy in Beijing.

The Related Press contributed to this report.