Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Lithuania has reportedly resumed negotiations with China's Taiwan region on an economic cooperation action plan after talks were suspended during the government transition. A Chinese expert criticized the latest move as an attempt to "have it both ways" - seeking to repair ties with the Chinese mainland while simultaneously deepening cooperation with the Taiwan region. However, such contradictory signals are inconsistent with Lithuania's previous indications that it intended to normalize relations with China and fail to demonstrate the concrete actions needed to rebuild political trust between the two countries.

According to a report from the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) on Monday, the talks on the cooperation were temporarily suspended in June as the new Social Democrat-led government restructured the cabinet.

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry also claimed that strengthening economic cooperation with the Taiwan region "remains a long-term foreign policy priority" and the country aims to "sign an economic cooperation action plan once negotiations are completed," according to the report. 

The plan, initiated by Lithuania, aims to expand cooperation in areas including high technology and defense, semiconductors, finance and innovation, according to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry's website.

According to the LRT report, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry claimed the plan is focused on building economic ties, while declining to disclose specific details. The ministry also claimed that the country's position on Taiwan remains unchanged. 

The development comes about weeks after new Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius signaled an intention to normalize ties with China on his first day in the job, but also claimed this could be achieved without a change in the so-called "Taiwanese representation," according to an earlier report from the Global Times. 

According to the foreign policy section of the XXI Programme of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, published on the website of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, the government pledged to "normalize diplomatic relations with China to the level of diplomatic representation maintained by other European Union member states," indicating that it is a stated goal for the new government. 

Lithuania appeared to believe it could improve relations with the Chinese mainland while maintaining, or even expanding, its cooperation with the Taiwan region. However, such an approach overlooks the fact that the Taiwan question concerns China's core interests and forms the political foundation of China-Lithuania relations, Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Lithuania's policy on the Taiwan question has taken on a stronger political dimension. If Lithuania wants to restore normal relations with Beijing, it should match its rhetoric with concrete actions rather than continuing to deepen Taiwan region-related cooperation while calling for better ties with the Chinese mainland, Jian said.

In November 2021, Lithuania approved the establishment of the so-called "Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania" by the Taiwan authorities. In response, China announced that it would downgrade its diplomatic relations with Lithuania to the chargé d'affaires level, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

According to the expert, Lithuania's push to strengthen economic ties with the Taiwan region has been driven more by geopolitical and political considerations than by economic realities.

On China-Lithuania relations, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a press conference in late June that the crux of the current difficulties is that the Lithuanian side violated the one-China principle and went back on its political commitment made in the joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations. China remains open to communication. It is hoped that the Lithuanian side will act promptly and decisively to correct past mistakes and return to the right track of adhering to the one-China principle so as to create conditions for the normalization of relations with China.