China appears inclined to negotiate on normalising relations with Lithuania, the chairman of the Seimas foreign affairs committee said on Wednesday after a briefing by the foreign minister.
"We have heard the current information regarding negotiations with China on the normalisation of relations and were informed that talks will continue. As we understand it, the Chinese are now inclined to meet, communicate and negotiate," Remigijus Motuzas, a senior social democrat MP, told reporters after a closed committee meeting.Relations between Vilnius and Beijing soured in 2021 after Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a Taiwanese Representative Office in the country.Motuzas said the issue of relations with China cannot be resolved without taking this into account.
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"We cannot treat our partners arbitrarily; we must evaluate very responsibly and discuss according to the principle of equality. The head of the Taiwanese Representative Office understands the responsibility and promised to show that they will indeed bring benefits to the Lithuanian economy," the politician said.However, according to him, information presented during the meeting showed that while Taiwan had promised 1.2 billion euros over five years since the office opened, it has so far invested about 500 million euros during that period.Lithuanian-Chinese relations are being more actively reconsidered amid a change in government in Vilnius.Prime Minister-designate Mindaugas Sinkevičius previously said there were several scenarios regarding relations with Beijing, with decisions expected in the autumn.China previously said it is open to dialogue on restoring diplomatic relations but expects Lithuania to take steps to rectify the current situation.
