Amid a diplomatic confrontation with Vilnius, Chinese state media has also started paying close attention to Lithuania’s domestic affairs. What are they saying?
Attacking personalities
The China Global Television Network (CGTN) owned by the Chinese state aims to discredit Lithuania’s foreign policy vis-à-vis China and Taiwan by calling it a project of the “fanatically anti-Communist” foreign minister.
“Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is becoming increasingly isolated in his strident support for Taiwan separatists,” CGTV wrote.
According to it, Landsbergis is drawing on a “bogus” comparison of Taiwan to Lithuania’s struggle for independence to gain support for his policies.
Last week, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said that opening the Taiwanese office under the island’s name was a “mistake”, a claim that was quickly seized and exploited by the Chinese propaganda.
Read more: Allowing Taiwan to open office under its name was a mistake – Lithuanian president
“Nausėda’s comments were widely seen as a preparation to sacrifice his foreign minister in an attempt to repair ties with China,” CGTV wrote.
According to the Chinese state media network, Lithuania’s deepening ties with Taiwan are Landsbergis’ “personal crusade” which he pursues despite the opposition from the Lithuanian society.
He is also seen as a puppet of the US and Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that wish to “create divisions in the EU over the one-China principle”.
“Landsbergis is trying to arouse patriotic sentiment by calling on the EU to “stand up” in support of his pro-separatist stance against China,” CGTV wrote.
Exploiting opinions
The opposition of Lithuanian society mentioned by CGTV refers to the poll commissioned by the foreign ministry which found that 60 percent of Lithuanians have a negative opinion of their country’s policy on China.
The Global Times, the propaganda daily under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party did not miss an opportunity to exploit the poll for its propaganda purposes either.
Read more: Most Lithuanians critical of Vilnius’ China policy – survey
According to the Global Times, the poll “shows that more and more Lithuanians are waking up and realising how big a mistake Vilnius made” when it opened the Taiwanese representative office.
“The truth has always been telling. First, Lithuania shouldn't have provoked China's core interests. Second, Lithuania will pay a huge price for having done so,” the Global Times wrote.
“Third, anyone who acts as a tool of the US to contain China will lose more than it may gain, and eventually become pathetic cannon fodder,” it added.
According to the Global Times, Lithuanians disapprove of the government‘s foreign policy because they see that it serves the US rather than Lithuania’s purposes.
“Washington has always been playing with Lithuania to make the small country do what is too shameful for the US to do,” the propaganda daily wrote.
“People can see the US has dug a pit for Lithuania and told the tiny country there are treasures to be found at the bottom of the pit,” it added.
Threatened narratives
This week, Taiwan announced a 1-billion-dollar fund that will offer loans for joint Lithuanian-Taiwanese investment projects on top of 200 million dollars promised previously to offset China’s economic sanctions.
According to Lithuanian Economy Minister Aušrinė Armonaitė, Lithuania is most interested in potential Taiwanese investment in the semiconductor, laser, and biotechnology sectors.
The Global Times has decried such investment prospects, hoping to restore China’s main propaganda narrative of the “deadly blow” to Lithuania’s economy as a result of its ties with Taiwan.
“Lithuanian politicians have shown their short-sightedness in challenging China's sovereignty. What is surprising is their lack of common sense about their ability to attract investment projects and their global competitiveness in technology,” the daily wrote.
According to the Global Times, Lithuania does not have any “key factors that support chip production” and the country’s desire to attract Taiwanese investment in this area is “wishful thinking”.
Lithuania’s ongoing political and economic cooperation with Taiwan is sure to provoke an even heavier response from China, the Global Times added.
“If this cooperation is meant to give Lithuania support to continue its mistakes that undermine China's core interests, then it risks provoking a heavy response from the Chinese mainland,” the daily wrote.
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