The EU let tiny Belarus divert a domestic EU flight and kidnap an EU resident with 0 repercussions. Lithuania is commendable for their actions regarding Taiwan, but the craven EU is unlikely to desire conflict.
Western MSM narrative is Lithuania standing up to PRC. But reality is Lithuania and other NATO baltic buffer states with little trade with PRC trying to assert relevancy to US foreign policy after US retreat/pivot to Asia. US rewarding Lithuania with 600M in export credits as agent for US interest of elevating TW status in EU, and Taiwan rewarding Lithuania laser industry with preferential contracts for TSMC.
EU reaction over PRC always mixed. EU parliament likes to signal over human rights, EU commission more pragmatic, and so far large EU countries like France, Germany, Italy have been quiet / doesn't appreciate small countries like Lithuania starting shit on behalf of US interests that undermine their interests. Overall clever self-interested play by Lithuania foreign policy.
TLDR for background, PRC downgrading Lithuania diplomatic relationship over opening "Taiwan" instead of "Taipei" representative office (defacto embassy), which contravenes PRC interpretation of One China Policy. Now trade shenanigans of which there isn't much between PRC and Lithuania.
I don't know about the deal with US. But I think investing into Taiwan trade relationships has greater potential because forced technology transfer to China is no secret and that negates all benefits of such a big market. Lithuanians risk getting booted by their own technology in hands of state-backed company.
EU has been mostly neutral on US-Sino competition so US using Lithuania to insert/forward US foreign policy to undermine the bloc and rewarding Lithuanian accordingly. Right now it's trying to elevate TW global presence. It's old game US plays with baltic states who require NATO (read US) protection against Russia.
PRC is building indigenous laser for semi anyway, Lithuanian laser was never in the running. Lithuania actually exports more to PRC than vice versa. Entire point of them being first to withdrawal from 17+1 was because PRC underdelivered on east EU trade/investments.
Unlike west EU, Lithuania has little to lose and much more to gain supporting US interests. On the flip side, major EU powers low key do not like idea that small baltic states like Lithuania has this much influence and will act accordingly. There history of transatlantic drama with US using desperate security partners to undermine EU policy in general.
It’s an interest contradiction: the so-called “wolf warrior” diplomats and CCP apparatchiks go out of their way to project China as this mighty invincible superpower, yet when some 17 year old says “Congratulations to the Taiwan national athletes” they go all “you hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”.
The EU has trade agreements with China. Lithuania is part of the EU. China is breaking those agreements for reasons that are not covered by the trade agreements.
According to that logic it was the EU, not Lithuania, that upset the Chinese by opening a Taiwanese office. So maybe China is sanctioning the EU as such accordingly, and therefore correctly.
If the EU can sanction other entities, it can also be sanctioned by other entities.
I keep hearing that argument and I am inclined to believe this is some sort of Chinese propaganda. Walking through the local ikea in Northern Europe for example, I find it’s hard to find anything made in china these days.
I checked the last three pieces of electronics I bought also and none were made in china. One in Thailand and two in Vietnam.
It can’t be food, so not sure which shelves are going to be empty here except for the baskets in the supermarket with cheap junk toys.
Poland's last foreign ministers (Waszczykowski and Rau) have been inane. Nature doesn't like vacuum. Poland more or less left the stage, and Lithuania is trying to fill the niche.
