Lithuania Expels Three Chinese Staff as Diplomatic Ties Weighed
- Embassy employees weren’t accredited, foreign ministry says
- Incoming premier flagged openness to restoring diplomatic ties
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Lithuania expelled three Chinese embassy employees, potentially escalating tensions even as the Baltic nation’s incoming prime minister expressed openness to restoring diplomatic relations with Beijing.
The Foreign Ministry said the personnel were not accredited, citing activities incompatible with the Vienna convention. The three will have a week to leave the country, the ministry said in a statement on Friday. Remigijus Motuzas, the head of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, said the issue was procedural rather than espionage-related.