VILNIUS, Jun 22, BNS – Chinese Ambassador to Lithuania Shen Zhifei has paid a visit to the Lithuanian Seimas on Monday, asking for Lithuania's explanations as to why Andy Chin, head of Taipei's mission in the Baltic states, was allowed to speak from the platform in the parliament.

The ambassador met with Juozas Bernatonis, chairman of the parliamentary Committee of Foreign Affairs, representing the Social Democratic Labor Party of Lithuania.

"Since Taiwan's official representative was standing on the Seimas platform and this way, as China believes, the "one-China policy", which is envisaged in out treaty with China, was violated, he expressed his opinion," Bernatonis told BNS on Monday.

The committee chair said he explained the situation how Andy Chin found himself on the platform.

"I explained that under the statute, the opposition has its own agendas and that's not Lithuania's official position but it was the opposition's initiative," Bernatonis said.

He believes this incident will not affect the Lithuanian-Chinese relations.

"Taiwan's representative was allowed to speak from the parliament's platform. The ambassador had to react," the Foreign Committee chair said.

Last Thursday, Chin was invited to the Lithuanian parliament to take part in a discussion on the coronavirus. He was invited by the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats.

Taiwan's status is one of the most sensitive issues for China. The Chinese government does not renounce its threats to take over the control of this territory by force and wants to block Taiwan's any participation in international activity.

Lithuania, just as many countries in the world, does not recognize Taiwan's independence and endorses the "one-China policy".

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