China threatens to retaliate after EU country expels diplomats

Three staff from Beijing’s diplomatic mission in Lithuania have been declared personae non gratae

China’s foreign ministry has strongly condemned Lithuania’s move to expel three of its diplomats and warned of “countermeasures,” in a statement released Beijing on Monday. Relations between the two countries have soured over Vilnius granting a delegation from Taiwan diplomatic status and allegations that a Chinese ship was involved in damaging two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.

Three staff members from China’s diplomatic mission were declared personae non gratae on Friday for activities which the Lithuanian foreign ministry claimed had violated the Vienna Convention and Lithuanian legislation.

Beijing described the move as “wanton and provocative action,” and said it “reserves the right to take countermeasures against Lithuania.”

The diplomats were ordered to leave the country within a week. The Lithuanian ministry, however, did not specify what had led to the decision. 

“The decision was made in light of the information provided by the responsible authorities and the incompatibility of the status and activities of the non-accredited personnel with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, other principles and practices of international law, and Lithuanian legislation,” the ministry said in a statement.

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The Chinese foreign ministry responded by claiming that Vilnius had demanded the expulsion of its diplomats “without any reason,” and accused the country of violating the One-China principle on issues related to Taiwan, as well as breaching its “political commitment” to China-Lithuania diplomatic relations.

The move comes after relations between the two countries soured following Lithuania’s decision to allow Taiwan, which Beijing considers an inalienable part of China, to open a de facto embassy in Lithuania in 2021. In response, Beijing downgraded diplomatic ties with Vilnius and imposed trade restrictions.

“China calls on Lithuania to immediately stop undermining China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stop creating difficulty for bilateral relations,” the ministry said. 

The development also comes amid allegations that a Chinese ship, the Yi Peng Three, was linked to an incident in which two Baltic Sea telecommunications cables were damaged.

The cables – one linking Sweden to Lithuania and the other between Finland and Germany – were severed last month in Swedish territorial waters. The Chinese ship is believed to have been in the area at the time and has since been anchored in international waters off Denmark.