Lithuania’s president: ‘Taiwan office’ was a mistake

In the trade dispute with China, Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda has openly criticized his own government for opening a „Taiwan office“ in Vilnius. Opening the Taiwanese trade representation under that name was a mistake, Nausėda said in an interview with radio station Žinių Radijas on Tuesday. While both Lithuania and Taiwan could open representative offices that do not have diplomatic status, „the name of the office became a key factor that now has a very strong impact on our relations with China,“ Nausėda said.„I believe the name was the spark, and now we have to deal with the consequences“ the president said. Moreover, he claims to have not been informed about the title, said Nausėda, who represents Lithuania as head of state at EU summits, among other things.