Taiwan will set up its first office in Europe using the name "Taiwan,” drawing a rebuke from China and praise from the U.S. as the island democracy seeks to strengthen its diplomatic presence around the globe in the face of pressure from Beijing.
The government in Taipei will open its office in the eastern European Union state of Lithuania, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said in a briefing Tuesday. Taiwan’s other diplomatic outposts on the continent are under the name of "Taipei.”
"Lithuania has firmly believed in universal values such as democracy, freedom and human rights, and is a like-mined partner of Taiwan,” Wu said. "Taiwan and Lithuania are both at the strategic front line to safeguard democratic and free regimes.”