US asks Lithuania to rename Taiwan Representative Office to reduce tensions with China

The United States (US) has asked Lithuania to rename the Taiwanese official representative office in Vilnius to reduce tensions with China, Financial Times reported citing sources. After the official representative office of Taiwan was established in Vilnius in 2021, relations between Lithuania and China worsened significantly.

China recalled its ambassador to Lithuania in August last year, telling the Baltic country to immediately reverse its wrong decision, take concrete steps to repair the damage, and avoid going down the wrong path further. On the other hand, in September 2021, Lithuania also recalled its ambassador to China. According to the Financial Times' sources, US authorities encouraged Lithuania to alter the name of the "Taiwanese representative office" to "Taipei representative office," which is the name used by the vast majority of countries.

"One of the big problems is that Taiwan doesn't want the name change and Lithuania has a very strong faction of people who don't want the name changed either," a source acquainted with the diplomatic discussions told the media agency.

White House denies the claim

The White House, on the other hand, has formally denied the information concerning the proposed renaming of the office. Anyone who claims differently is not reflecting actual US-Lithuania negotiations. Lithuania and Taiwan's attempts to strengthen their connections and practical collaboration are respected and supported by us, a representative for the National Security Council informed the media.

According to the source, Washington has promised Lithuania that it will back its sovereign decisions. Taiwan and Lithuania decided in July, last year, that the office in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, will be called Taiwan rather than Chinese Taipei, which is commonly used in other countries to avoid offending Beijing. The report concerning the US request to rename the Taiwanese office was also a misinformation effort, according to the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The US has voiced worry about claims that Chinese authorities refuse to allow Lithuanian items or commodities containing Lithuanian components into the country, and that import applications from Vilnius are being rejected. Since 1949, Taiwan has been administered separately from mainland China. Beijing regards the island as its province, whereas Taiwan, a self-governing territory with its own democratically elected government, claims autonomy but refrains from proclaiming independence.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Image: AP