China has erred in its reading of LithuaniaBy Tommy Lin 林逸民Last year, China entered into a spat with Lithuania over Vilnius allowing Taipei to open a de facto embassy using the name “Taiwan.” Beijing recalled its ambassadors from Lithuania and downgraded its diplomatic ties with the Baltic state to the “charge d’affaires” level. In hindsight, China should realize that this move handed Lithuania on a plate to Taiwan. China, which has been using its economic clout to bully others, underestimated Lithuania. Now that the EU is aligning with the US to rein in China, Taiwan is an indispensable ally in the anti-China coalition. However, if the name has not worked its magic in diplomatic affairs in the past, it would only create further confusion now.

Source: Taipei Times January 22, 2022 22:09 UTC