China downgrades diplomatic ties with Lithuania over Taiwan row

This file photo taken on Nov 18, 2021 shows the name plaque at the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, Vilnius. China has officially downgraded its diplomatic ties with Lithuania to the "charge d'affaires" level, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday (Nov 21) in protest after Taiwan established a de facto embassy in Vilnius. - AFP

BEIJING, Nov 21 (AFP): China has officially downgraded its diplomatic ties with Lithuania to the "charge d'affaires" level, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday, in protest after Taiwan established a de facto embassy in Vilnius.

Lithuania's allowing Taipei to formally open an office using the name Taiwan was a significant diplomatic departure that defied a pressure campaign by Beijing, which tries to keep Taiwan isolated on the global stage.