The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned Qu Baihua, China’s chargé d’affaires, to protest against Beijing’s decision to impose sanctions on Deputy Transport Minister Agnė Vaiciukevičiūtė and suspend transport cooperation with Lithuania.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented to the Chinese representative Lithuania’s position that China’s unilateral decision is unjustified, it violates international law and Lithuania’s sovereignty, and demanded to revoke those decisions,” the ministry said in a statement.
In response to Vaiciukevičiūtė’s visit to Taiwan on a business mission, China said last week that it was imposing sanctions on her and suspending “all forms of exchange” with the ministry and “exchange and cooperation with Lithuania in the field of international road transport”.
Vaiciukevičiūtė was the third Lithuanian deputy minister to visit Taiwan. However, Beijing did not announce any sanctions after previous visits to the island by Deputy Economy and Innovation Minister Jovita Neliupšienė and Deputy Agriculture Minister Egidijus Giedraitis.
Qu Baihua told BNS in an interview last week that any visit to Taiwan by officials from Lithuania or other countries “violates the one-China policy”.
Lithuanian officials underline that the country is free to choose whatever partners it wants.
Lithuania last year allowed Taipei to open its representative office in Vilnius under the name of Taiwan.
In response, Beijing downgraded diplomatic ties with Vilnius and blocked Lithuanian exports, prompting the European Union to file a case against China at the World Trade Organization.
Lithuania is planning to open a trade office in Taipei in September.
Read more: China has not informed Lithuania of cut in transport ties – minister
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