Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Lance Burgess said that in order to restore relations with China, the Lithuanian government is suspected of putting pressure on Taiwan to change the name of its representative office in Lithuania. This is tantamount to conveying China's demands and damaging Lithuania's international credibility; if it continues to make concessions, it may fall into a situation where China continues to raise its demands.
Lithuanian media recently revealed that officials from the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had submitted an informal document to the Taiwan Representative Office in Lithuania, requesting Taiwan to change the name of the representative office and set a deadline. Gabrielius Landsbergis said in an exclusive interview with Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) yesterday that this was obviously a request from China conveyed to Taiwan through Lithuania, with Lithuania playing the role of an intermediary.
He pointed out that Lithuania was originally a country that formulated its own foreign policy, but now it has become a country that implements the diplomatic requirements of countries unfriendly to Lithuania. This not only weakens Lithuania's status in the eyes of Taiwan, but also damages its image in the eyes of its partners. He warned that future opponents may criticize Lithuania as "a country that will give in".
Lance Burgess believes that restoring diplomatic relations is a two-way process. China may continue to raise its demands. If Lithuania pursues normalization of relations, it must bear the consequences of the other party's conditions. If China does not agree to restore relations, Lithuania's foreign minister may be forced to step down; if China makes unacceptable demands, Lithuania may further pressure Taiwan to cooperate.
He also revealed in an exclusive interview that he had received news that China may require the Taiwan representative office to withdraw from Lithuania, and even believed that in order to fully restore bilateral relations, Taiwan cannot be allowed to remain in Lithuania. However, he said he could not verify whether China had indeed made a request to close the representative office.
Lance Burgess also warned that even if the two sides restore lower-level diplomatic relations in the future, China may still make further demands for ambassadorial levels and other requirements. He used the rabbit hole metaphor of "Alice in Wonderland" to describe that Lithuania may be trapped in a situation of constant concessions.
In response to external doubts about Taiwan's failure to fulfill its investment and semiconductor industry commitments, Lance Burgess said that this is an oversimplification of foreign policy. He pointed out that when Lithuania was under the greatest economic pressure, it received economic support from the United States, Taiwan and other Pacific partners. The United States also lifted some import restrictions on Lithuanian agricultural products at that time.
He believes that subsequent economic cooperation still depends on the development of enterprises, and the measures that the government can take directly are limited. What is more important is how to attract enterprises and create favorable conditions so that enterprises are willing to invest.
Lance Burgess said that the United States, Taiwan and other countries have opened the door to cooperation for Lithuania, but whether Lithuania itself has the ability to seize the opportunity is still a question. He criticized that the current ruling coalition stated before the election that it would restore relations with China and excluded relations with Taiwan from its priorities, which was tantamount to weakening the strategic foundation established by Lithuania in the past, but in turn criticized these relations for not bringing expected results.
When it comes to the U.S. factor, Lance Burgess said that China is still the most important strategic threat to the United States, and Taiwan's future is a core issue in the U.S. strategic layout. This will not change as the U.S. government seeks to reduce tensions with China.
He pointed out that Lithuania was regarded by the United States as a partner on the Taiwan issue in the past. This was an important strategic bargaining chip for Lithuania, and its value may only be revealed in the future. He also revealed that when participating in relevant discussions in the U.S. Senate in the past, some members said that even if the U.S. government changes, the U.S. position on relevant issues and its commitment to friendly countries will not change.
Lance Burgess emphasized that it is a wrong judgment to believe that the United States' attitude towards China has changed and the Taiwan issue is no longer a priority.
Lance Burgess served as Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2020 to 2024. During his tenure, Lithuania agreed to Taiwan's establishment of a representative office in Vilnius under the name "Taiwan" in 2021, becoming the first country in Europe to use this name to establish a representative office. This move triggered a strong backlash from China, brought bilateral relations to a low point, and also caused Lithuania to face diplomatic and economic pressure. Lance Burgess was one of the important officials who pushed Lithuania to deepen relations with Taiwan.
