Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Tuesday that the issue of the Taiwanese Representative Office’s name was settled when it was established and warned that reopening the debate could lead to its closure.
“We must understand that the issue of the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office was resolved several years ago,” Nausėda told reporters. “One can call it a mistake or something else, but it was an achievement for Taiwan in its relations with other countries. It was a stake they drove into the ground.”
He cautioned that revisiting the issue could force a choice “between the name staying as it is, or no representative office at all”.
Lithuania seeks to maintain pragmatic relations with both Taiwan and China, Nausėda said, adding that Vilnius is not prepared to accept pressure from Beijing.
“Communist China’s reaction to this fact was what it was; it has not changed significantly, and we are certainly not ready to accept ultimate demands under any conditions,” he said.
The president said restoring ties with Beijing could involve returning diplomatic representation to a level below that of ambassador.
His remarks contrast with those of Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, who has suggested that the office could be renamed the Taipei Representative Office. In an interview with Lrytas published Monday, Ruginienė said the president had agreed with her position during a recent meeting.
Nausėda rejected that characterisation, saying the prime minister should not comment on statements made during private discussions.
“The prime minister should not comment on my statements, especially from a closed meeting,” he said, adding that any change to the office’s name would require agreement from both Lithuania and Taiwan.
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He also said Lithuania has not fully capitalised on economic cooperation with Taiwan and tasked Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys with working to unlock that potential.
“Unfortunately, we must acknowledge that we could have achieved much more than we have,” Nausėda said.
Relations between Vilnius and Beijing have been strained for several years over the naming of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania. Since mid-May last year, no accredited Chinese diplomats have been stationed in Lithuania, and bilateral trade has declined since the office opened in 2021.
The government’s program includes a goal of restoring diplomatic relations with China to the same level as in other European Union member states.
A recent poll by Baltijos Tyrimai commissioned by LRT found that about 60% of Lithuanians support changing the office’s name.
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