Beijing: China strongly condemns and firmly rejects Lithuania’s demand for Chinese diplomatic personnel to leave the country within the time required, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday. On Nov. 29, Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry, without any reason, declared relevant diplomatic personnel of the Office of the Chargé d’Affaires of China in Lithuania “persona non grata” and demanded that they leave the country within the time required, according to the spokesperson.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the spokesperson stated that China strongly condemns and firmly rejects this wanton and provocative action. The spokesperson highlighted that Lithuania’s actions concerning China’s Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and breach the political commitment Lithuania made in the communiqué on the establishment of China-Lithuania diplomatic relations. This has significantly strained bilateral ties, the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson further noted that three years after the d
owngrade of bilateral ties with China, Lithuania has once again taken actions that exacerbate relations. China urges Lithuania to cease undermining its sovereignty and territorial integrity and to stop creating difficulty for bilateral relations. “China reserves the right to take countermeasures against Lithuania,” the spokesperson emphasized.
“We hope the upcoming new government of Lithuania will follow the prevailing international consensus, abide by the one-China principle, and foster conditions for the normalization of China-Lithuania relations,” the spokesperson remarked.
