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Since May, there have been no Chinese diplomats left in Vilnius, as the two countries have had a serious falling-out with no signs of reconciliation in sight.
“There are currently no accredited diplomats or staff at the Chinese embassy in Vilnius,” Lithuania’s national broadcaster LRT reported, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
There was still one Chinese diplomat left in Lithuania until mid-May, but on May 18, he was denied re-entry into the country. Although the individual held a diplomatic passport, he lacked valid accreditation that would have granted him the right to remain within the Schengen Area.
“His authorized stay had expired,” said Giedrius Mišutis, spokesperson for the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (VSAT). The Chinese citizen spent nine hours at the airport before being sent back to Istanbul.
Diplomats cannot serve in a foreign country without valid accreditation. Lithuania chose not to renew the diplomatic credentials of Chinese embassy staff following the deterioration of relations sparked by the Taiwan dispute, BNS recalled.
Dispute Sparked by Taiwan Representation
The conflict began in autumn 2021 when Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a representative office in Vilnius under the name "Taiwanese Representative Office." In most other countries, such offices are labeled using the name of the capital, Taipei, to avoid direct reference to Taiwan itself.
Beijing saw this as support for Taiwan’s sovereignty ambitions and retaliated by downgrading diplomatic ties. China rebranded its embassy in Lithuania as an "Office for Temporary Affairs," and Vilnius took a similar step in response.
China downgraded its relations with Lithuania to the lowest diplomatic level. Lithuania, however, continued to treat both missions with respect and accused Beijing of violating international norms, according to LRT.
Lithuanian diplomats have since left China, as Beijing no longer recognizes their official status. China has tried to re-accredit its diplomats in Lithuania, but the country refuses to recognize the "Office for Temporary Affairs" as a legitimate foreign mission.
When Lithuania refused to renew the accreditations, China began sending diplomats from other countries into Lithuania. Vilnius responded by requiring all diplomats performing official duties to hold valid accreditation.
“We are countering Chinese pressure with a range of measures,” a Lithuanian official told BNS. “One of them is that we do not accept documents issued under the name of the Office for Temporary Affairs. All administrative matters must be conducted using the official embassy designation.”
China Moves Relations to Brussels Level
Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, who took office at the end of 2023, has expressed interest in restoring diplomatic relations with China. However, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys warns that it may not end well.
Just last week, Budrys declined to say whether any Chinese diplomats in Vilnius still held accreditation.
“We’re trying to resolve the legal status of both the Beijing and Lithuanian diplomatic missions and diplomats,” Budrys told BNS. The foreign minister, appointed from outside the party system, emphasized that Lithuania remains open to restoring normal diplomatic relations—but the next move is not up to them.
“We want to return to the previous state of relations. We also want all foreign diplomats in Lithuania to have legitimate status, diplomatic immunity, and proper working conditions,” Budrys told BNS.
Officially, diplomatic ties between Lithuania and China remain intact, but all communication now goes through China’s mission to the European Union in Brussels.
At the beginning of this year, senior advisor Fang Mei from China’s EU delegation said that Beijing hopes to normalize relations with Lithuania and that the door for dialogue remains open.
Lithuania has sent a proposal to China to restore ties, Prime Minister Paluckas told LRT, though he declined to provide further details. He did, however, confirm that changing the name of the Taiwanese office in Vilnius is not on the table.
“We certainly will not be making that proposal,” Paluckas stated.