For years, Lithuania has been one of Beijing’s most vociferous critics in Europe as it sought to build close ties with Taiwan.
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But with a new government in the offing, there are signs that the Baltic state might be looking to mend ties with the world’s second largest economy – even if observers believe the relationship is beyond repair.
Gintautas Paluckas, the candidate the Social Democratic Party want to make prime minister if it can form a coalition after coming first in last month’s election, has said he wants to “normalise” ties.
“Having normal relations is certainly an aspiration because the EU – even though relations with China will not be rosy, they will argue about the economy, about tariffs, about protectionist measures […] – but the EU is trying to maintain diplomatic relations,” Paluckas told national broadcaster LRT.
He described the previous centre-right government’s decision to allow a “Taiwanese Representative Office” to be opened in 2021 as a “grave diplomatic mistake”, but has stopped short of saying that he would ask Taipei to rename it.
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“Let’s not speculate, we don’t know what the Chinese will ask for. We don’t know the real situation,” Paluckas told LRT.