Beijing: China has decided to downgrade the level of diplomatic relations with Lithuania to the level of charge d’affaires after the opening of the Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius, the Chinese Foreign Ministry says.
The official representative office of Taiwan opened in Lithuania’s capital on Thursday. Eric Huang, who is currently the Acting Head of the Taiwan Mission to Latvia, was appointed as the head of the office.
“China expresses severe dissatisfaction and strong protest in this regard, the Chinese side decided to downgrade diplomatic relations between the two countries to the level of chargé d’affaires,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.
Former Prime Minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis said on Friday that the opening of the Taiwanese representative office effectively means that ties between Lithuania and China will be severed.
