China downgrades diplomatic ties with Lithuania over Taiwan row

China has downgraded its diplomatic relations with Lithuania, days after the Baltic state allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy there.

22 November 2021

IMAGE SOURCE,EPA

Image caption,

Taiwan's representative office in Lithuania is its first new European outpost in 18 years

China has downgraded its diplomatic relations with Lithuania, days after the Baltic state allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy there.

Lithuania defended its right to have ties with Taiwan, but said it respected the "One China" policy.

Taiwan's new office in Lithuania does not equate to official diplomatic relations but could be seen as a sign of growing ties between both places.

Beijing considers Taiwan part of China, but Taiwan sees itself as independent.

The new office bears the name Taiwan rather than "Chinese Taipei", the name used by many foreign nations to avoid offending China.

This is the island's first new diplomatic outpost in Europe in 18 years. Taiwan has few allies with whom it has formal ties, due to China's pressure.

The One China policy is the diplomatic acknowledgement of China's position that there is only one Chinese government.

However, it is distinct from the One China principle, whereby China insists Taiwan is an inalienable part of one China to be reunified one day.

• What's behind the China-Taiwan divide?
• What is the 'One China' policy?
• Lithuania urges people to throw away Chinese phones

China's foreign ministry said the move had "undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and created a "bad precedent internationally".

It said it would reduce its diplomatic engagement with the country to the level of charge d'affaires, one rung down from an ambassadorship.

Lithuania's prime minister defended her nation's plans for greater engagement with Taiwan - a major supplier of semiconductors, lasers and other high-tech industry.

"Our government's programme says Lithuania wants a more intense economic, cultural and scientific relationship with Taiwan," Ingrida Simonyte said, according to Reuters.

"[But] I want to emphasise that this step does not mean any conflict or disagreement with the 'One China' policy."

The US has also offered its support to Lithuania to withstand Beijing.

Lithuania's move could be seen as the latest sign of some central European nations seeking greater relations with Taiwan even amid pressure from Beijing.

Last month, China spoke out after a delegation of Taiwanese officials were granted visits to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Lithuania.

Taiwan currently has only has formal diplomatic recognition from 15 nations - most of which are Pacific or Latin American nations.

While governments like the US and Japan have fostered extensive commercial ties with Taiwan, they uphold official diplomatic ties with China and recognise its One China policy.

More on this story

• Lithuania urges people to throw away Chinese phones

  22 September 2021

  

• What's behind the China-Taiwan divide?

  26 May 2021

  

Source  -  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59370521

SOAS lecturers told to wipe references to Hong Kong and China

 7 May 2021 — SOAS has told academics not to record lectures or seminar discussions to avoid the risk of staff being arrested when visiting Hong Kong or ...

SOAS’ decision follows Hong Kong’s June 2020 security law, which puts academics at risk of imprisonment

Isobel Glover

 News
LONDON

SOAS has instructed academics not to record lectures or seminar discussions to avoid the risk of staff being arrested when visiting Hong Kong or China.

In June 2020, Hong Kong introduced a new security law that facilitates the act of punishing individuals who protest both inside and outside the territory. The law criminalises any act of secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign or external forces.

As a result of this law, SOAS believes that academics are at risk of being arrested and jailed for carrying lecture notes or laptops containing their work when travelling to those areas.

Due to the vagueness of what constitutes subversion, a wide range of topics are potentially “off-limits.” Many of these topics “lie at the heart of the social sciences and humanities”, meaning that teaching materials used for such subjects may be used as evidence of a violation of the security law.

The China Research Group, set up to monitor the challenges and opportunities associated with China, warns that the law is not restricted to Hong Kong residents or activities in the region. In an interview with The Times, Neil O’Brien, a CRG member, said:

“This shows the incredible reach of new repressive laws in China — students in London are being advised they could be arrested on the basis of their lecture notes if passing through Hong Kong.

“We have seen how Beijing tries to stifle criticism in democratic countries including their recent decision to sanction MPs, academics and lawyers here.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg — through funding agreements and partnerships with UK universities, Beijing can gain a lot of influence on our universities and I worry this is already having a stifling effect on lectures and tutorials happening in the UK.”

SOAS’ guidance has identified five areas of risk: teaching materials, staff travelling to Hong Kong or China, students travelling to Hong Kong or China, employing research assistants based in these areas, and the threat from collaboration with colleagues based in Hong Kong or China who “may not have a choice if they are asked to collaborate an investigation against their foreign partners”.

In a statement on the matter, SOAS highlighted their duty of care to students and staff saying:

“Computers which colleagues use on a regular basis may include information about students who may have said or written something that can be deemed to have violated the Hong Kong National Security Law.

“Since this law is so stringent and has extra-territorial applicability, our duty of care to our students from Hong Kong and Mainland China requires us to make sure that computers that staff may carry with them to HK and Mainland China do not contain information that can potentially land our students into trouble with this law.

“The risk of this happening is low, but if only one of our current or former students ends up being caught out by the National Security Law because of an action or an inaction on our part, it falls below the standards we uphold at SOAS.”

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