Lithuanian president says restoring China ties shouldn't depend on name of Taiwan's representation

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) – Lithuania’s president said Tuesday that restoring full diplomatic representation with China should not be directly linked to a change in the name of Taiwan’s representative office in the capital Vilnius.

“We simply want neither more nor less – we want to restore relations with China to a normal level,” Gitanas Nauseda told Lithuanian radio station Ziniu Radijas, according to public broadcaster LRT.

The president said Lithuania could initially accept a lower level of diplomatic representation, with a deputy head of mission representing either country instead of an ambassador.

“This is a completely pragmatic goal to normalize diplomatic relations. That is something we should do in any case,” he said.

Nauseda said it was too early to say whether ongoing discussions with Beijing would produce concrete results, adding that meetings set for next month could clarify the prospects for negotiations.

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius previously said he hopes for a breakthrough in relations by the end of the year, LRT reported.

Relations deteriorated in 2021 after Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a representative office in Vilnius using the name “Taiwanese.” Similar offices elsewhere generally use the name Taipei, which Beijing prefers.

China subsequently downgraded its diplomatic representation in Lithuania from ambassador to charge d’affaires. Lithuania later stopped issuing new accreditations to Chinese diplomats, leaving China without accredited diplomats in the country since May 2025, according to LRT.

Necva Taştan Sevinç