Context behind Lithuania's review of its relationship with China
Context behind Lithuania's review of its relationship with China

Summary/Abstract: Since the new Lithuanian government came to power in late 2020, the country has increasingly attracted global attention because of its official commitment to conduct a “values based foreign policy” in general, and correspondingly to review its bilateral relationship with China in particular. In Spring 2021, Lithuania became the first to leave the China – Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation framework, calling for other EU members to follow suit in order to deal with Beijing together and equally on the basis of the whole EU. Lithuania’s change of heart on China was related to its identity and peculiar characteristics, which include being an open and fairly digitalised economy, a small state with a particular stake in the preservation of international rules and obligations, a faithful member of the Euro-Atlantic alliance system and the Western economic and normative community, as well as one of the most pro-European, pro-American and Russia-sceptic countries in the world. Further details were also important.

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