BEIJING, 27 November 2021, (TON): China has officially sent Lithuania a diplomatic note to change the name of the Chinese diplomatic mission in Vilnius to the PRC mission in Lithuania. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian stated this at a briefing.

He said “on November 26, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China officially sent a note to the Ministry of For-eign Affairs of Lithuania, deciding to change the name of the Chinese diplomatic office in Lithuania to the representative office of the PRC in Lithuania.”

“China has also asked Lithuania to change the name of its diplomatic mission in the PRC accordingly.”

According to Zhao Lijian, “China’s move is a legitimate countermeasure against damage to China’s sovereignty.”

He stressed “the responsibility lies entirely with the Lithuanian side.”

Earlier, China Central Television reported that the PRC government had decided to downgrade diplomatic relations with Lithuania to the level of chargé d’affaires.

On November 18, in spite of Beijing’s protests, a representative office of Taiwan was opened in Vilnius.

It will not have diplomatic status, but it will be able to provide consular services. Erik Huang, who heads a similar office in Riga, under the name of the Taipei Representative Office, has been appointed as its head. Lithuania expects to open its mission in Taiwan in early 2022.