Lithuania President Rebukes Government Over China Trade Spat
- Nauseda calls Vilnius decision on Taiwan office a ‘mistake’
- Head of state says name of Taiwan office is key factor
Photographer: Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu/Getty Images
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Lithuania’s president said the government’s decision to allow Taiwan to open a representative office using the island’s name was a mistake, wading into a controversy that’s upended the Baltic nation’s relationship with China.
The criticism by the head of state, Gitanas Nauseda, opens a rift in the country’s leadership after tensions between China and Lithuania triggered a high-level trade dispute between Beijing and the European Union. Taiwan opened the office in the capital, Vilnius, in November under the name of Taiwan, a move viewed by the Chinese government as a violation of its one-China principle.