China Recalls Lithuania Ambassador in Row Over Taiwan Office

China Recalls Lithuania Ambassador in Row Over Taiwan Office
This general view shows the Lithuanian Embassy in Beijing on Aug. 10, 2021. Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images
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BEIJING—The Chinese regime on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to Lithuania and expelled the Baltic nation’s top representative to Beijing over the country’s decision to allow self-governing Taiwan to open an office in Lithuania under its own name.

The Chinese regime claims Taiwan as its territory without the right to diplomatic recognition, although the island maintains informal ties with all major nations through trade offices that act as de facto embassies, including in the United States and Japan. Pressure from the Chinese regime has reduced Taiwan’s formal diplomatic allies to just 15.