China is punishing Lithuania for letting Taiwan open a “Taiwanese Representative Office” in its capital, Vilnius
The country is being punished for agreeing that Taiwan, a democratic island that China claims as its own territory, may open a “Taiwanese Representative Office” in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital. China calls that an affront to its sovereignty. It has summoned its ambassador, Shen Zhifei, home for consultations, and told Lithuania to recall its envoy, Diana Mickeviciene. In a covid-era twist, China informed Ms Mickeviciene of her fate as she returned to Beijing from a summer break.
China’s problem is not simply that it has a short fuse. It is not new for leaders in Beijing to downgrade relations with governments that cross their “red lines”. China routinely freezes trade talks and official visits whenever foreign leaders meet Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama . Last year China curbed imports of coal and wine from Australia after that country’s government called for an international probe into covid-19’s origins.
Rather, Chinese irascibility may prove more problematic than before because China’s ambitions are changing. The country no longer inhabits a world of bilateral ties dominated by trade, of the sort that allowed it to play one country off against another. It hopes to create new international networks and groupings that share similar views about what constitutes good governance, in which China plays the central role. That brings new forms of scrutiny when it loses its temper.
About a decade ago, lots of foreign countries saw China as a dazzling, potentially transformative economic partner. Lithuania was no exception. In competition with Estonia and Latvia, its Baltic neighbours, it pitched its largest airport as a hub for Chinese flights, and its main seaport, Klaipeda, as an entry-point for Chinese ships. More recently, it sought to be a European gateway for Chinese financial technologies.
Disappointment followed. Chinese investments in central and eastern Europe proved paltry, and the lion’s share went to Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Serbia. Trade increased, but mostly because of imports from China. Today, China is still only Lithuania’s 12th-largest trade partner. As dreams of an economic bonanza faded, some members of the 16 plus one began comparing notes about the bloc’s political aims and lack of transparency.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
China protests US Navy, Coast Guard ships in Taiwan StraitBEIJING (AP) — China's defense ministry protested Saturday the passage of a U.S. Navy warship and Coast Guard cutter through the waters between China and Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China.
Leer más »
China protests US Navy, Coast Guard ships in Taiwan StraitChina’s defense ministry has protested the passage of a U.S. Navy warship and Coast Guard cutter through the waters between China and Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China.
Leer más »
Celebrities Disappear From Internet as China Moves Against Fan CultureChina announced further steps to control celebrity fan culture, which regulators say has become “chaotic.” The moves came as one of China’s most prominent stars Vicki Zhao Wei was scrub…
Leer más »
China Clamps Down On Large Companies, Excessive ‘996’ Work Culture And Powerful Businesspeople To Keep ControlIt seems that the Chinese government has seen the acceleration of power wielded by both the big near-monopolistic U.S. tech companies and the uber-rich, and are taking aggressive actions to avoid the same situation in China.
Leer más »
Ryan Reynolds’ ‘Free Guy’ Tops $65M US, Nabs $5.4M Friday In China (Box Office)Ryan Reynolds’ 'Free Guy' is providing assurance that a theatrical window (for films people want to see) can help create something closer business-as-usual box office.
Leer más »
African swine fever is spreading rapidly in China, againAfrican swine fever is harmless to humans but deadly to the pigs that provide one of China’s most important sources of food
Leer más »