Recently, the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania published a "list of unfriendly countries", in which China is listed as a country that poses a threat to the security of the country. This decision has attracted a lot of attention. Although China had just lifted sanctions on Lithuania before that, Lithuania had included China in the list of "unfriendly countries". This decision may be related to Lithuania's conflict with Russia and Ukraine, as well as its position on the Taiwan issue. Although the neutral relationship has eased, there are still cracks in the credibility of the two sides. Lithuania's choice to stir up the situation before the China-EU summit could have a negative impact on China-EU relations and Lithuania itself. This article will analyze and elaborate on this.
The "list of unfriendly countries" released by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense lists China as a country that poses a threat to Lithuania's national security, which has aroused confusion and discussion. The reasons for this decision may be as follows.
First of all, Lithuania is associated with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. After the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, Lithuania sided with Russia, actively providing assistance to Ukraine and constantly inciting anti-Russian rhetoric. This is in stark contrast to the position of maintaining ** ties with China and not blaming Russia, and became an important reason for Lithuania's decision to list China as an "unfriendly country".
Secondly, Lithuania may express dissatisfaction with China's position on the Taiwan issue. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Landsbergis said that the name of the "Taiwan Representative Office in Lithuania" will not change with the thaw of neutral relations, and said that this does not violate the EU's one-China policy. Although there are still differences between the neutral sides on some issues, a settlement has been reached, and although China's response is relatively low-key, it also confirms from the side that the neutral relationship has indeed thawed.
However, the timing of the release of the list of "unfriendly countries" in Lithuania is intriguing. Earlier, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Landsbergis said that China had removed Lithuania from the "system blacklist" and lifted the ** sanctions against Lithuania. Although relations have not yet fully returned to normal, Lithuania's relations with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region can compensate for some of the losses. It can be seen that at the moment when Lithuania is about to ease relations with China, it chooses to list China as an "unfriendly country", which undoubtedly casts a shadow on the recovery of neutral relations.
Lithuania's designation of China as an "unfriendly country" has had a negative impact on neutral relations. Since the tension between the two countries, Lithuania's exports to China have plummeted by more than 70%, and Chinese companies and European companies that maintain cooperation with China have gradually withdrawn from Lithuania. Although Lithuania sought to ease relations with the Chinese side and negotiate with the Chinese side, the "substantial investment" promised earlier did not materialize.
However, relations with Japan and South Korea have warmed up recently, with the recent easing of relations between China and the EU and the liberalization of some US investment access. China also announced unilateral visa waivers for citizens of five EU countries and is about to hold a China-EU summit. These signs show that China's relations with the EU are developing for the better, and the world economy is waiting for the vitality of China-EU cooperation. However, Lithuania's move could undermine the good situation in Sino-European relations, and at the same time have a negative impact on Lithuania itself.
From the perspective of the development prospects of neutral relations, although Lithuania's relations with China are cold, some data show that Lithuania has sought to diversify with China. Relations with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region can compensate for the losses with China to some extent. In addition, Lithuania is also expected to carry out more cooperation with other European countries after the stability of relations with China to achieve the goal of diversification.
Lithuania's designation of China as an "unfriendly country" has undoubtedly had a negative impact on neutral relations. Although the relations between the two countries have eased, there are still cracks in the credibility of the two sides. Lithuania's choice to stir up the situation on the eve of the China-EU summit could undermine China-EU relations and have a negative impact on Lithuania itself.
However, relations between China and Russia, China and the United States, China and Europe and many other countries are easing with China, and China's opening up posture and active diplomatic measures will also provide important support for the restoration of neutral relations. It is believed that with the gradual recovery of neutral relations, the two sides will be able to establish a more stable and diversified cooperative relationship to achieve the goal of mutual benefit and win-win results. At the same time, Lithuania also needs to make a prudent choice to return to the normal track with China and create more opportunities for its own economic development.
In international relations, friendship and cooperation are the cornerstones of common development. It is hoped that Lithuania will recognize its mistakes, correct its position, and work with China and other countries to promote economic prosperity, peace and stability.
Lithuania's decision to list China as an "unfriendly country" may be related to Lithuania's conflict with Russia and Ukraine, as well as its position on the Taiwan issue. Despite the easing of neutral relations, Lithuania's choice to stir up the situation on the eve of the EU-China summit could still have a negative impact on neutral relations. Despite the fact that Lithuania's relations with China have been cold, Lithuania's search for diversification with other countries has provided certain opportunities for the restoration of relations. Ultimately, it is hoped that Lithuania will reflect on its mistakes and work with China and other countries to promote friendly cooperation and achieve the goal of mutual benefit and win-win results.