Lithuania playing with fire on Taiwan issue
Print Edition
Lithuania is playing with fire by violating the one-China principle regarding Taiwan.
Lithuania recently announced its decision to allow Taiwanese authorities to open a 鈥渞epresentative office鈥 under the name of 鈥淭aiwan鈥 in the country, an outright violation of its promise to adhere to the one-China principle when Beijing and Vilnius established diplomatic ties in 1991.
As a firm and resolute countermeasure, China on Tuesday announced that it will recall its ambassador to Lithuania, and has demanded the Lithuanian government recall its ambassador to China.
It does not take rocket science to see through Lithuania鈥檚 perilous calculations: to show its loyalty to a Washington that is increasingly anti-China.
However, decision makers in Vilnius should not expect to be rewarded for their provocations. Rather, they will ultimately pay for their recklessness.
First of all, the Taiwan question concerns China鈥檚 core interests over which there is no room for compromise.
Beijing鈥檚 recalling of its envoy is just a stark warning. If the Lithuanian government does not correct its wrongdoing, it is forcing China to take further actions.
Secondly, those calculating Lithuanian politicians who are trying to flatter Washington should not take it for granted that their American masters will always stand behind them.
History is crowded with examples that the United States abandoned its faithful servants when seeing the need to fend for its own interests. It is still not too late for those Lithuanian politicians to make up for some missed history lessons.
Thirdly, it is even more clownish for Lithuania to encourage other regional countries to follow its misguided steps on the Taiwan issue.
Lithuania has read the big picture totally wrong.
Most European countries have upheld the one-China principle as they have promised to Beijing.
Also, the foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Europe remains solid.
A country like Lithuania can in no way find any meaningful support for its self-destructive moves.
For the Lithuanian government, revoking its wrong decision and undoing the damage to bilateral ties with China are the only correct and wise ways forward.
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