Crossing Beijing's "Red line"? China's response to Lithuania's values-based foreign policy
Crossing Beijing's "Red line"? China's response to Lithuania's values-based foreign policy

Summary/Abstract: Since the 18th Cabinet of Lithuania took office on 11 December 2020, its government programme has stood out owing to its determination to follow a values-based foreign policy and the clear intent to develop ties with Taiwan. Soon afterwards, a resolution started to materialise: Lithuania withdrew from China’s “17+1” format and publicly voiced its intention to allow Taiwan to establish a “Taiwanese Representative Office” in Vilnius. China treated this announcement as crossing over its “red line”, and the response was swift and harsh as Sino-Lithuanian diplomatic relations entered into a crisis after China recalled its ambassador to the country. The retaliation soon started with the deterioration of trade ties, which gradually expanded into other spheres. Currently, China does not want any involvement with anything “Lithuanian”, and given the complexity of the Taiwan issue, this diplomatic crisis is far from over.

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