After Taiwan opens de-facto embassy, China downgrades diplomatic relations with Lithuania

After Taiwan was allowed to open a representative office in Lithuania, China downgraded its official relations with the Baltic nation on Sunday to below ambassador level.

Beijing claims Taiwan, the island democracy, as part of its own territory.

Earlier, China had also expelled the ambassador of Lithuania and withdrew its own envoy to the country.

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Relations would be downgraded to the level of charge d'affaires, an embassy's No 2 official, said the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

In a diplomatic breakthrough recently, Taiwan opened a de facto embassy in Lithuania. The move is a significant departure that defied a pressure campaign by Beijing.

Breaking free from tradition, the Chinese-claimed island has used its own name for its operation in Vilnius. It is Taiwan's first new diplomatic outpost in Europe in 18 years.

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Taiwan's foreign ministry had said the opening of the office would "charter a new and promising course" for ties between it and Lithuania.

"We are very happy that we have the opportunity to be a facilitator and promoter for the relations between Taiwan and Lithuania," said Eric Huang, Taipei's chief of mission in neighbouring Latvia.

(With inputs from agencies)