Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė speaks at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Merz on January 29, 2026. Photo: VCG

Amid intensive visits made by leaders of several European countries, officials of Lithuania appear to be anxious with them openly admitting making strategic mistake on Taiwan question. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, in a recent interview with the Baltic News Service (BNS), expressed regret over Lithuania's decision to allow a so-called Taiwanese representative office to open in Vilnius under the name "Taiwanese." She described the move as a strategic mistake, likening it to Lithuania having "jumped in front of a train and lost," according to a report from local media LRT English on Tuesday.

Chinese netizens have taken note of the new prime minister's stance, with relevant topic atop Chinese X-like social platform Sina Weibo on Thursday morning, gathering over 50 million reads as of press time. 

However, some of them noted the office in question is still there without renaming, and they questioned whether this amounts to mere rhetoric, pointing out that no concrete actions - such as renaming the office and relocating the office to a different place other than the capital city of Vilnius —have been taken to back up the statements so far.

"That was probably Lithuania's big mistake - thinking that if we acted on our own and did something first, the world would suddenly appreciate it," Ruginienė claimed in the BNS interview. "We tried it, we have the Taiwanese office, but the world did not appreciate it. No one appreciated it." 

She also reportedly argued that the move was not coordinated with the EU or the US and admitted that such move led to a sharp deterioration in relations with China, according to the report. 

The Lithuanian media LRT also claimed that in June 2025, then-prime minister Gintautas Paluckas said a proposal to restore relations had been submitted to China, but no response has been received.

The Lithuanian government, in disregard of the Chinese side's strong objection and repeated dissuasion, has approved the establishment of the so-called "Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania" by the Taiwan authorities in August 2021. Ever since that, China has adopted a slew of legitimate, reasonable and lawful countermeasures including a diplomatic downgrade between China and Lithuania.

This act creates the false impression of "one China, one Taiwan" in the world, flagrantly violates the one-China principle, and renounces the political commitment made by Lithuania in the communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued in November 2021. 

It undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and grossly interferes in China's internal affairs. The Chinese government expresses strong protest over and firm objection to this extremely egregious act, and will take all necessary measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Lithuanian side shall be responsible for all the ensuing consequences, read the statement. 

"The so-called Taiwanese representative office has yet to be shut down or renamed, right? It would be no use to admit the mistake without correcting it," write one netizen on Weibo. 

Relations between Vilnius and Beijing have remained strained for several years, per the LRT English report, and since mid-May last year, there have been no accredited Chinese diplomats or other staff members in Lithuania, the report said.

The Lithuanian media report also claimed that following a change of government, Ruginienė's cabinet program includes a commitment to restore diplomatic relations with China to the level of representation seen in other EU member states.

Some netizen left comments under the Beijing Daily report post on Weibo that "it is not that Lithuania recognized its mistake, rather it is Lithuania realized that it cannot bear the consequences." 

"Even a child knows better mistakes come with consequence and they would not think it is possible to repair ties by only making an apology," wrote another netizen. 

It is not surprising that Chinese public does not sit well or simply accept Lithuania's admitting mistake without correction move, Li Guanjie, a research fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies under the Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Reuters also reported on December 1, 2025, that the EU had dropped a trade dispute it launched against China in 2022 in which it accused Beijing of so-called discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania, and EU's latest move is viewed by Chinese media such as the Beijing Daily as a sign of EU's withdrawing of support to Lithuania's anti-China agenda, which the daily described as a fatal blow to the Lithuania.

As many Western leaders have visited China and engaged with it in a pragmatic manner this year, Lithuanian leaders should fully recognize that anti-China policies or crossing China's red line over Taiwan question, do not align with their own interests and will not receive support from the US, the UK, or other major European countries as Lithuania once wished for, Li noted. 

Li suggested that if Vilnius is sincere about redemption from its mistake, it should start with renaming the office under Taipei and move the office outside the capital city. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry has repeatedly urged that Lithuania should correct its mistake and return to the right path of adhering to the one-China principle at an early date. 

China reserves the right to take countermeasures against Lithuania. 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, read a Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's statement in December 2024.