Lithuania's government reportedly asked Taiwan to rename its representative office in Vilnius before China's October 1 National Day, exposing the cost of its effort to restore relations with Beijing. Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said the reporting was inaccurate but declined to clarify the substance.
According to Lithuanian media, Deputy Foreign Minister Vidmantas Verbickas and diplomat Ričardas Šlepavičius met Taiwan's representative Constance Wang on September 24 and delivered an unofficial document seeking a change within one week.
The office opened in 2021 under the name Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, an uncommon formulation because most unofficial missions use Taipei. Beijing treated the wording as implying separate statehood and responded by downgrading relations, recalling diplomats and restricting some trade.
The reported Lithuanian document argued that the name obstructed economic ties with Taiwan and created problems for businesses. That reasoning suggests Vilnius now sees the symbolic choice not only as a China dispute but also as a practical burden on companies seeking predictable Asian relationships.
Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said there were no plans to rename the office. Spokesperson Hsiao Kuangwei added that the existing title resulted from careful consultation and consensus between the two governments, making unilateral revision politically difficult.
Lithuania's governing coalition, in office since 2024, has sought to repair ties with Beijing without formally abandoning Taiwan. The problem is sequencing: a concession demanded before China's national day would be read in Taipei as pressure and in Beijing as a test of Lithuanian intent.
Budrys must now reconcile three objectives that do not easily fit together: restore diplomatic access to China, protect Lithuanian companies and preserve credibility with Taiwan. The next signal will be whether Vilnius issues a formal request, offers a negotiated alternative or leaves the office name unchanged.
