Taiwan is not discussing changing the name of its representative office in Lithuania, a Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday, amid renewed debate over Vilnius’ desire to restore relations with China.
“First, I want to emphasise that Lithuania and Taiwan are important partners who share democratic values. The name ‘Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania’ is a consensus reached by both sides,” spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei told a press conference. “Second, currently, the governments of both sides have not engaged in any discussions regarding a name change for the office.”
The comments follow remarks by Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, who told BNS that by opening the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius, Lithuania “jumped in front of the train and lost” because it did not coordinate the move with the European Union or the United States. Ruginienė said consultations are now underway on normalising relations with China, without indicating any plans to close down or rename the Taiwanese office.
In response, China urged Lithuania to correct what Beijing calls mistakes in developing ties with Taiwan, saying such steps are necessary to pave the way for normalised bilateral relations.
Taiwan, meanwhile, is continuing to promote “substantive cooperation with Lithuania in the fields of lasers, semiconductors, and finance”, Hsiao said. He added that both countries hope to deepen bilateral relations, strengthen democratic economic resilience, and create mutually beneficial trade and economic interests.
Vilnius and Beijing have been at odds for several years over how to restore diplomatic representation following a dispute over the Taiwanese office’s name. Since mid-May 2025, no Chinese diplomats or other staff have been accredited in Lithuania. Bilateral trade also fell sharply after the Taiwanese office opened in 2021.
The Ruginienė government’s program includes a goal of “restoring diplomatic relations with China to the same diplomatic level as in other European Union countries”. President Gitanas Nausėda has said restoring ties with China requires willingness from both sides but warned Lithuania sees risks in cooperating too closely with Beijing.
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