China decided on Sunday to downgrade its diplomatic relations with Lithuania to the level of charge d’affaires as a solemn protest against the Baltic state’s collusion with the secessionist authority on the island of Taiwan and blatant violation of the one-China principle and international rules.
“Given the fact that the political foundation for an ambassadorial-level diplomatic relationship has been damaged by Lithuania, the Chinese government, out of the need to safeguard national sovereignty and basic norms governing international relations, has no choice but to downgrade its diplomatic relations with Lithuania to the chargé d’affaires level. The Lithuanian government must bear all the ensuing consequences,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement it released on Sunday.
“We urge the Lithuanian side to immediately put right its mistake and not to underestimate the Chinese people’s strong resolve, will and capability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the ministry said.
The decision came after the island of Taiwan opened its so-called representative office in Lithuania on Thursday, which has sparked strong opposition and protest from the Chinese government. China has recalled its top envoy in Vilnius in August and demanded Lithuania to withdraw its ambassador to Beijing over the island’s plans to open the office.
Experts on diplomatic relations said the latest move signals a serious setback between China-Lithuania ties and reflects China’s resolute determination to “make the tiny country feel painful.”
They also warned that if Lithuania continues to go its own way, the possibility of completely cutting off diplomatic ties cannot be ruled out. The downgrade is also a deterrence to some other European countries, warning them not to try to provoke China on key issues such as the Taiwan question.
Bad precedent
The Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed in Sunday’s statement that the one-China principle is the consensus of the international community and a universally recognized norm governing international relations, and serves as the political foundation for the development of bilateral relations between China and Lithuania.
Proceeding from the goodwill of maintaining bilateral relations, the Chinese government has repeatedly warned Lithuania not to act in bad faith. Regrettably, Lithuania disregarded the solemn position of the Chinese government, the overall situation of bilateral relations and basic norms governing international relations, insisted on allowing the establishment of the so-called representative office, setting a bad precedent in the international community, it said.
“The downgrade means a serious setback in China-Lithuania diplomatic relations, as charge d’affaires does not have full authority compared with ambassadors. It indicates that the power of diplomats in both countries will be greatly limited and affected,” Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday.
Cui noted that the measure is relatively rare because it is also rare in recent years for countries like Lithuania to openly challenge China over the Taiwan question regardless of China’s clear position on the matter.
A similar decision could be traced back to as early as on May 5, 1981, when China downgraded the bilateral diplomatic ties to the charge d’ affaires level with the Dutch government after the Netherlands approved the sale of a submarine to the island of Taiwan which violated the 1972 Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations at Ambassadorial Level between China and the Netherlands. Six days later, the Netherlands accepted the decision and took the same measure.
On February 1, 1984, China and the Netherlands issued a joint communique to resume diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, on the basis of the Netherlands’ refusal to issue licenses for Dutch companies to sell submarines to the island of Taiwan and its commitment not to approve arms sales to the island.
Recalling the ambassador has already given Lithuanian a cooling-off period, a period of reflection and correction. The downgrade has conveyed a clear message that no country should ever take any chances on Taiwan-related matters and pretend to be ignorant, Cui said.
Wang Yiwei, director of the institute of international affairs at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said direct information consultation and political exchanges between the two countries will come to a standstill. Consequently, investment and trade will be basically aborted.
“This emphatic downgrade aims to punish Lithuania,” Wang said. “It is also a deterrence for some other European countries, including the Czech Republic and Poland, warning them not to try to provoke China on key issues such as the Taiwan question.”
Wang pointed out that the downgrade, coming ahead of the US-initiated “democracy summit,” is also very timely and appropriate as the “tiny state” is still so “ridiculous to be a running dog for anti-China forces,” as it has tried to show that it is not afraid of the “repression” and attempts to raise its voice in the “democratic world.”
Liu Zuokui, a senior research fellow on European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that the rare move suggests there is a high probability that the two sides will have to sever ties.
Liu said that Lithuania’s dangerous move of provoking China will also jeopardize its own economic interests, and the suspension of rail links between China and Lithuania may deliver a major blow to Lithuania’s economy.
Global Times
