Lithuania slammed for expulsion of diplomats

China on Monday strongly condemned and firmly rejected Lithuania's designation of some Chinese diplomatic personnel as "persona non grata", urging the country to abide by the one-China principle and foster conditions for the normalization of bilateral ties.

Without any explanation, Lithuania's Foreign Ministry declared on Friday some personnel working in the Office of the Charge d'Affaires of China in Lithuania "persona non grata" and demanded they leave the country within a designated time period, according to a statement released by China's Foreign Ministry.

Calling the decision wanton and provocative, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement that because of actions taken by Lithuania regarding Taiwan in recent years, the Baltic state is already in serious violation of the one-China principle and in breach of the political commitment it has made in the communique on the establishment of China-Lithuania diplomatic relations. "This has caused severe difficulty for bilateral ties," the statement added.

Beijing downgraded diplomatic relations with Vilnius to the level of charge d'affaires after the Baltic state allowed Taiwan authorities to set up a "Taiwanese Representative Office" on its soil in 2021.

"Three years on since the downgrading of bilateral ties with China, Lithuania has again taken detrimental action that further exacerbates the relations," the statement said.

Beijing called on Lithuania to immediately stop undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stop creating difficulty for bilateral relations, the spokesperson said, vowing that China reserves the right to take countermeasures against the nation.

Foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, told a news conference on Monday that China has noticed that Lithuania is preparing to form a new government and many politicians have expressed their desire to improve relations with China.

He expressed the hope that the new government will adhere to the one-China principle and put bilateral relations back on the right track.

In another development, Lin reiterated China's firm opposition to any form of official interactions between the United States and Taiwan, and warned Washington against meddling in China's internal affairs.

Lin made the remarks as Taiwan region leader Lai Ching-te on Sunday discussed so-called China's military threats toward the island in a call with former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during his "stopover "in Hawaii on his way to the South Pacific.

He emphasized that the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, and is the foremost red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations.

He also urged the US to see the separatist nature of Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party authorities, and fully understand the grave damage that "Taiwan independence" activities do to cross-Strait peace and stability.

Separately, Lin encouraged Paraguay to establish a correct and comprehensive perception of the one-China principle, and make decisions that genuinely align with the fundamental and long-term interests of its people.

His comments at the news briefing came after Paraguay's Foreign Minister Ruben Dario Ramirez Lezcano visited the island on Friday, saying that Paraguay was open to establishing diplomatic, consular or commercial relations with China without conditions, but would not be willing to break its so-called ties with the island.

Paraguay is the only country in South America and one of 12 countries in the world that have so-called diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

"The one-China principle is a universally recognized consensus of the international community and a fundamental norm of international relations, which also serves as the political foundation and essential prerequisite for China to develop bilateral relations with other countries," Lin said.

He stressed the one-China principle concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, leaving no room for "negotiation or compromise".