There have been no diplomats from the People’s Republic of China in Lithuania since mid-May, because Lithuania and China are in a spat over how to restore diplomatic representation.

“There are currently no diplomats or other staff members accredited to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Vilnius,” BNS was told by the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.

Once Chinese diplomat recently was working in Lithuania, but after he left the country for a while, he was not allowed to re-enter on May 18.

Border guards confirmed to BNS that a citizen of China with a diplomatic passport who was not accredited as a diplomat in Lithuania was refused entry at Vilnius Airport after arriving in Lithuania from Istanbul and spending nine hours at the airport.

The man’s diplomatic passport allowed him to remain in the Schengen Zone for 90 of the last 180 days, but authorities say that the Chinese diplomat violated the rule.

“The person had used up his period and could not use an exception,” BNS was told by Giedrius Misutis, a spokesman for the State Border Guard.  “Such a person cannot be allowed to re-enter Lithuania.  He was refused entry, and on the same day, as is usual in such cases, the person was returned to the destination from which he arrived – in this case, Istanbul.”

BNS has learned that the diplomat in question did not have valid accreditation from the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry which would allow him to work legally in the country and remain there during the term of validity of the relevant document.  In this case, the accreditation period had expired.

Lithuania has refused to renew accreditation for Chinese nations for several years during a dispute over diplomatic representation and Lithuania’s decision in 2021 to allow Taiwan to open a representative office in Vilnius.

Source: BNS

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