Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

According to Lithuanian media reports, Lithuania has proposed to China to restore diplomatic representation at the level of chargé d'affaires and is waiting for Beijing's response. This indicates a minor technical breakthrough in bilateral consular cooperation. 

Lithuania's newly formed government publicly characterized its 2021 decision to permit the opening of a "Taiwanese Representative Office" as a "huge mistake" in February.

Yet, the slow pace of renaming the office underscores the frustration and urgency for decisive action, emphasizing that Lithuania's political process must overcome its paralysis. This hesitant, half-hearted posture stems from Vilnius' fundamental failure to grasp the gravity of its past transgressions and a persistent, dangerous lack of reverence for China's sovereignty red lines.

The diplomatic frost of the last five years was entirely of Lithuania's own making. In 2021, the former Lithuanian government brazenly breached international norms by allowing the Taiwan authorities to establish a "representative office" under the name of "Taiwan," effectively manufacturing "one China, one Taiwan" on the global stage.

This was not a minor diplomatic oversight; it was a malicious provocation against China's core interests. The Taiwan question is the absolute core of China's core interests, the first red line that must not be crossed and an immovable cornerstone of China's relations with any sovereign state. Beijing's subsequent decision to downgrade diplomatic ties to the charge d'affaires level and implement justifiable counter-measures was a legitimate, lawful and necessary defense of its national sovereignty.

Unfortunately, Lithuania's decision-makers have long suffered from a profound cognitive dissonance regarding their country's standing in the international arena. Deluded by an unrealistic notion of "small-state heroism" and eager to serve as a vanguard for external anti-China forces, Vilnius falsely assumed that its geographic distance and minimal trade reliance on China shielded it from retribution.

This reckless gamble has clearly and profoundly underestimated the iron will and unwavering determination of the 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely defend their territorial integrity and national unity at all costs. When it comes to matters of state sovereignty and core national interests, China does not, and will not, make any distinction or show leniency based on a country's size, status or influence.

Those who dare to deliberately test, challenge or provoke China's clearly defined red lines must be fully prepared to bear the complete and truly unbearable weight of the consequences stemming from their strategic miscalculation and grave folly, while also risking further, and potentially escalating, diplomatic strain and economic repercussions in their relations with China, as is the case for Lithuania.

The political gridlock currently paralyzing Vilnius demonstrates that Lithuania is still attempting to "muddle through." Vilnius mistakenly believes it can restore lucrative economic ties and secure consular convenience through technical concessions while dodging the fundamental issue. But diplomatic reconciliation cannot be bought on the cheap, nor can it be achieved through administrative sleight of hand.

The responsibility for the collapse of China-Lithuania relations lies solely with the Lithuanian side, and the key to unlocking this stalemate remains firmly in its hands. China's door for communication remains open, but dialogue must be built on principle, not political opportunism. To truly repair its diplomatic credibility, Lithuania must recognize that the ultimate test of its political sincerity lies in the complete and unambiguous renaming of the "Taiwanese Representative Office," which directly affects its international standing and trustworthiness.

Only when Vilnius musters the political courage to enact this thorough correction, free from the shackles of domestic political theater and foreign lobbying, can bilateral relations return to a healthy track. Lithuania must act swiftly to correct its course, for a genuine reverence for China's red lines is not an option - it is the only way out of its self-inflicted isolation.