In the dispute between China and Lithuania over the opening of a Taiwanese commercial agency in Vilnius, Beijing wants to stop imports not only from the Baltic country itself, but also from third countries if the goods contain Lithuanian components. This raises the dispute to a level that affects the whole of the EU.
Taiwan has commercial agencies in a number of western countries, but only the one recently opened in Lithuania is called “Taiwanese”. For Beijing this was the reason to freeze trade relations with the Baltic country.
Relations between China and Lithuania have been at a low point for months. The main reason for this is the establishment of a Taiwanese commercial agency in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, under the name Taiwan and not Taipei, as it is with similar representative offices in other EU countries the case is. Beijing sees this as an undermining of the one-China policy and leaves no doubt about its will to have the small but stubborn Baltic country atone for it.