A representative office is opened in the Lithuanian capital, and Lithuanians exchange it in the island country.
Taiwan announced on Tuesday that it will open a representation in Lithuania to strengthen its European ties, especially with the Baltic states. MTI wrote that China immediately protested strongly about the plan.
The mission will in fact serve as an embassy, as do many Taiwanese diplomatic missions around the world. Taiwan was officially recognized as an independent country by the Republic of China due to China’s resistance, so the island cannot open embassies and consulates in the vast majority of countries around the world.
In Lithuania, the representative office will be based in the capital, Vilnius, and it is officially called the Taiwan Representative Office. The plans were announced by Taiwan’s foreign minister at a press conference. Joseph Foo He said it was important that this was the first representation in Europe to have the word Taiwan in its name.
Lithuania will also have representation in Taiwan. Vilnius announced in June its intention to open a representative office on the island by the end of the year. By doing so, he risks angering China, which has called Taiwan its territory since 1949.
