Lithuania expels Chinese diplomats amid rising tensions
Last week, the Lithuanian authorities announced that they had declared three Chinese diplomats persona non grata, stating that their actions violated the Vienna Convention. Beijing responded with a stern diplomatic note.
According to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, the People's Republic of China authorities strongly condemned the Lithuanian government's "wanton and provocative actions" from the previous week.
An unnamed representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the authorities in Vilnius of classifying, "without any justification," three diplomatic personnel at the rank of chargé d'affaires in Lithuania as "persona non grata", demanding that they leave the country within a specified timeframe.
Beijing protests
On Friday, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the decision was made based on information provided by the responsible authorities.
Relations between Lithuania and China deteriorated in 2021 when a Taiwanese representative office was opened in Vilnius. In response, Beijing suspended diplomatic relations with Vilnius, recalled its ambassador, and initiated a blockade of economic exchange.
As the Foreign Ministry informed: "Lithuania has seriously violated the one-China principle on the Taiwan issue and betrayed the political commitments made in the communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which has led to serious difficulties in China-Lithuania relations."
The communist authorities in Beijing also added that they reserve the right to take remedial actions against the Lithuanian side if Lithuania does not cease "undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."