China sanctions Lithuanian Minister for visiting Taiwan

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China sanctions Lithuanian Minister for visiting Taiwan

A Lithuanian minister visited China's Taiwan island last week, the third such trip by an official of this level from this Baltic country.

There is no reason for China to allow such a blatant violation of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity to take place with impunity.

That is why the Foreign Ministry imposed sanctions on Lithuanian Deputy Transport and Communications Minister Agne Vaiciukeviciute for his visit to the island, and China also suspended engagement with Vaiciukeviciute's ministry and cooperation on transportation with Lithuania.

Lithuania undertook the obligation not to establish official relations and engage in official contacts with Taiwan when it established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In recent years it has reneged on those commitments with such ministerial visits and allowed Taipei to open a representative office in the country under the name of Taiwan.

China has downgraded its diplomatic relations with Lithuania, and warned of the serious consequences of it acting in bad faith by violating the One-China principle, recognizing that the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legal government representing China.

Money has given it deaf ears. The island's Democratic Progressive Party authorities promised to set up a $200 million fund to invest in Lithuania early this year, and after that they announced the establishment of a $1 billion fund for joint projects between the island and Lithuania.

The DPP authorities seem to be willing to throw sense and money into the wind to provoke Beijing, rather than use both to improve the well-being of residents on the island.

The politicians of Lithuania are clearly shameless. They have no respect for upholding international relations. Their actions in bad faith will do no good for their country and people in the long run.

Beijing will allow no country to challenge the one-China principle because of the fact that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.

The military drills Beijing has launched around Taiwan and the sanctions it has imposed on the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her visit to the island speak volumes about China's unwavering resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Lithuanian politicians should never take it for granted that it is a small country with less geopolitical importance and whatever it does to challenge the one-China principle will not meet the same consequences as if it was a major country.

China will take whatever measures necessary to respond to any action taken by any country or individual to challenge the one-China principle. There will be no exception for Lithuania.