|HT|
China on Friday said Lithuania will “pay for what it did”, a day after the tiny Baltic nation of 2.8 million people allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in the capital. “Lithuania only has itself to blame, it will have to pay for what it did,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Friday.
China’s reaction followed after Lithuania allowed Taipei to open a representative office in the capital, Vilnius, ignoring Beijing’s strong opposition against the move.
China claims Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, as a breakaway region to be reunified by force if required.
Only 15 countries have direct diplomatic ties with Taiwan, prompting China to say those countries violate the “one China” policy under which only the mainland is recognised formally.
Agency reports from Taipei quoted the Taiwanese foreign ministry as saying that the opening of the office would “charter a new and promising course” for Taiwan-Lithuania ties.
“There was huge potential for cooperation in industries including semiconductors, lasers and fintech,” it said, adding: “Taiwan will cherish and promote this new friendship based on our shared values.”
(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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