Brave Moves: Lithuania’s Diplomatic Dance with China and Taiwan

Lithuania’s new Prime Minister, Mindaugas Sinkevicius, has described the 2021 decision to permit Taiwan to open a de-facto embassy in Lithuania as ‘maybe too brave.’ On his first day in office, he indicated plans to mend relations with China, which had been downgraded following the move. The Lithuanian government, now led by Sinkevicius, has outlined a policy to ‘normalize’ diplomatic interactions with China, aiming to reinstate ambassadors and improve bilateral relations, despite ongoing challenges. China views Taiwan as part of its territory, opposing any formal diplomatic presence in countries it has relations with. Since the representative office opened, China has…