The Board of the Seimas on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for an official trip to Taiwan and Japan by Parliament Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen.
MP Jonas Jarutis of the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS) was the only member of the Board who cautioned against the high-level visit to Taiwan.
“We were and remain the only ones in the world to open Taiwan’s embassy, which significantly worsened our relations with China, both in terms of trade and various other aspects,” Jarutis said during the Board’s meeting.
“I do not approve of this,” the MP said.
“If we could break it down, I would certainly approve of the visit to Japan, but not to Taiwan,” he added.
Čmilytė-Nielsen noted that Taiwan opened a representative office, not an embassy, in Vilnius and that parliamentary leaders from other EU member countries have visited the island with business delegations.
“The leader of the lower house of the Czech parliament visited Taiwan in the spring of this year with a very large business delegation,” she said. “We are continuing and doing what a number of EU countries are doing, which is developing economic, cultural and other ties.”
Vytautas Mitalas, head of the Freedom Party’s political group in the Seimas, said that the visit to Japan and Taiwan was very important for Lithuania.
MP Andrius Mazuronis of the opposition Labour Party said that the parliamentary speaker’s visits should not require the approval of the Board.
According to the Seimas’ press release, the visit to Japan and Taiwan, scheduled for October 21–29, is part of Lithuania’s recently approved Indo-Pacific strategy, which aims to develop economic and cultural ties in the region.
Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen will be accompanied on her visit to Taiwan by representatives of 14 Lithuanian companies and four business associations. The goal of the mission is to expand opportunities for cooperation in the fields of IT and innovation.
The speaker is scheduled to take part in Fintech Taipei 2023, Taiwan’s largest financial technology event, attend events presenting business opportunities in Lithuania, visit the recently opened Lithuanian laser laboratory, and discuss economic cooperation opportunities with Taiwan officials.
The business mission will also include Lithuania’s deputy finance minister, the head of financial market development at the central Bank of Lithuania, and representatives from the Innovation Agency and the Lithuanian Business Confederation.
Memoranda of understanding on health cooperation and double taxation avoidance are planned to be signed in Taiwan.
From Taiwan, Čmilytė-Nielsen will travel to Japan, were she will hold meetings at the parliament and go to Mino, the hometown of Chiune Sugihara, to open Lithuania NOW, the biggest Lithuanian cultural event of the year in Japan.
Beijing regards self-governing Taiwan as part of China.
Vilnius angered Beijing in 2021 when it allowed Taipei to open its representative office in the Lithuanian capital with the word “Taiwanese”, rather than “Taipei’s”, in its name.
In response, Beijing downgraded its relations with Vilnius and blocked Lithuanian exports and imports. This led the European Union to launch a case at the World Trade Organization against China over its discriminatory trade practices.
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