"Lithuania, seeking to restore relations with China, requests change of name of Taiwan representative office"

It has been reported that the authorities of Lithuania, one of the three Baltic countries, have requested a change in the name of Taiwan's representative office in the country.

On the 10th, Taiwanese media, including Yonhap News Agency, reported that the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had proposed a one-week deadline for name change on September 24, citing a report from Lithuanian news channel Delfi the previous day.

According to reports, Lithuanian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Widmantas Verwiczkas and diplomat Richardas Shlepavicius presented an unofficial document at a meeting attended by three Taiwanese representatives, including Wang Xuehong, then head of the Lithuanian Taiwan Representation.

The document included a request to change the name of the Taiwan representative office by October 1, China's National Day, saying that it hinders the development of economic relations between Lithuania and Taiwan and causes difficulties for businesses.

Lithuania, which is seeking to restore diplomatic relations with China, promised to dispatch a delegation headed by a vice minister to Taiwan if Taiwan changes the name of its representative office, to conclude an agreement on investment blueprints and negotiate double taxation between the two sides, and requested that the details be kept confidential.

Taiwan's representative office, which expected to discuss bilateral economic relations and investment at the meeting, was reportedly unable to hide its embarrassment at the unexpected request. It was reported that they maintained their stance not to change the name after that.

Previously, when the 'Taiwan Representative Office in Lithuania' was opened in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, in November 2021, China strongly opposed it, saying it was a direct conflict with the 'One China' principle.

Lithuania was the first in Europe to establish a representative office under the name 'Taiwan', which is known as the country's name rather than Taipei.