'Lithuania Should Protect Hong Kongers in the EU', Megan Khoo

Until recently, China-Lithuania relations had shown signs of improvement. At the end of November 2023, Beijing lifted the trade barriers that it had imposed on Lithuania in November of 2021, when Taiwan established a representative office in Vilnius. Yet any notion that this move constituted the extension of an olive branch by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has come undone just two months later. Beijing has retaliated once more against Lithuania by again suspending the issuance of Chinese visas to Lithuanian citizens, without any reason provided. The EU seemed to respond two days later with a concessive gesture to the Chinese Communist Party by suspending its charge of economic coercion against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO), a case initially filed in order to hold Beijing accountable for disregarding standard trade procedures in Chinese-Lithuanian trade. 

Now is the time for Lithuania to demonstrate resolve in the face of bullying by the PRC, and for it to send a strong message both to Beijing and to Moscow that Lithuania will not tolerate economic coercion, human rights abuses, and political manipulation by authoritarian states. One way in which Vilnius can do so is by launching a lifeboat scheme that would allow Hong Kongers to escape from the increasing oppression of the CCP in Hong Kong, the status of which has long served as an indicator of Taiwan’s future.

Since the end of 2021, when the PRC began its economic coercion of Lithuania, Chinese imports from Lithuania decreased more than 70% within 10 months. Then, in 2022, Chinese imports from Lithuania dropped 99.8% from the previous year. Beijing also downgraded its diplomatic relationship with Lithuania from full ambassadorship to a chargé d’affaires. The reason for this was Lithuania simply maintaining its rightful ties to Taiwan. 

At the same time, Lithuania emptied its embassy in Beijing, which continues to operate remotely. Undeterred by the CCP’s warnings and sanctions, Lithuania welcomed a $1 billion credit programme from Taiwan in January 2022 to fund projects between Taiwanese and Lithuanian companies. In July 2023, Lithuania reinforced its intentions to strengthen economic ties with Taiwan in its Indo-Pacific region strategy, referring to trade with Taiwan as one of its “strategic priorities.” And the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius continues to operate freely without name changes or other alterations.

Initially, even the EU stepped in on behalf of Lithuania by filing a dispute settlement case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in January 2022, accusing China of economic coercion and disinformation. Consultations were held in March 2022 and a panel was requested in December 2022. China said that “it regretted the EU decision to request a panel and was not in a position to support such a request,” claiming instead that it fulfilled its WTO commitments and traded with EU member states in a transparent manner. Still, the case remained on the table until the EU acted at the end of January to immediately suspend the proceedings.

European Commission Spokesperson Olof Gill said that the EU’s suspension of the case “is a procedural step taken for technical reasons related to the need to assess certain elements arising from the preparation of written submissions.” Whether or not the suspension was a direct and intended response to Beijing suspending the issuance of visas to Lithuanian citizens, the response is timely. Eric Huang, a senior diplomat for Taiwan in the EU, said that Taiwan respects the EU’s decision to suspend its WTO case against China, but still condemns the “illegal economic sanctions” that incited the case.

This week, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis rightly accused China of launching a ‘pressure campaign’ against Lithuania following the suspension of Chinese visas to Lithuanian citizens. Now, Lithuania must  respond with action. As a pioneer in protecting the human rights of those who are repressed by the CCP, the Lithuanian Government should introduce a lifeboat scheme to allow Hong Kongers to seek refuge in Lithuania in 2024. This would not only send a message to Beijing, and to Moscow, but it would make it clear that Vilnius will not give up on maintaining ties with Taiwan and other places, like Hong Kong, where the CCP is violating rights that are guaranteed under international law. 

Such an action would also continue the precedent of Lithuania standing in solidarity with Hong Kong. In June 2020, Lithuania publicly opposed the Beijing-imposed National Security Law in Hong Kong; and, in May 2021, the Lithuanian Parliament passed a resolution urging Beijing to repeal the National Security Law. The Lithuanian Parliament has also passed a resolution calling on Beijing to release all political prisoners in Hong Kong and urging the EU to implement sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong government officials responsible for egregious violations of human rights. These actions came in the wake of more than 210,000 Hong Kongers holding hands on the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way—23 August 2019—to draw attention to protests in Hong Kong which demanded government accountability and democratic reform.

The first step is for the Lithuanian Government to introduce a pilot lifeboat scheme for Hong Kongers, which would allow up to 100 Hong Kongers each year to apply for a five-year work visa in an area which has a skilled labour shortage. This would enable Hong Kongers to relocate to Lithuania and eventually to resettle, thereby escaping from Hong Kong, where basic civil liberties and the rule of law are quickly deteriorating as a result of the PRC and Hong Kong government’s actions. This would also contribute to Lithuania’s economy, as Hong Kongers would be employed in areas with skilled labour shortages. And it would be consistent with previous recommendations from the European Council and the European Parliament to review immigration schemes for Hong Kongers in the EU.

It is only a matter of time before Beijing moves again to economically and politically intimidate whichever nation refuses to comply with the CCP’s domestic and international policy agenda. Lithuanian members of parliament, such as Matas Maldeikis who serves as the Head of the Parliamentary Group for Relations with Taiwan, should raise awareness about the importance and potential of a pilot lifeboat scheme for Hong Kongers in Lithuania. The Lithuanian Government should act now to remain steadfast in its solidarity and fraternity with the people of Taiwan and Hong Kong.

This article was published in The European Conservative on 15 February 2024.