TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) and Presumptive Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas work to form a ruling coalition, there are signs that Taiwan ties may suffer. 

Following the second round of national parliamentary elections in Lithuania on Sunday (Oct. 27), the LSDP won 19.3 % of the vote, securing 52 out 141 parliamentary seats. After party leader Vilija Blinkeviciute declined to accept the role of prime minister, the party's deputy chair, Paluckas, was tapped for the position, reported Bloomberg.

Paluckas has said that he seeks to repair relations with China, which were damaged when the outgoing government allowed Taiwan to open a trade office in 2021 under the name “Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania.” This was followed in 2022 by the opening of a Lithuanian Trade Representative Office in Taipei. 

As a result of Lithuania’s improved diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which Paluckas called a “grave diplomatic mistake,” Beijing imposed trade restrictions and downgraded official diplomatic ties.   

In an interview on Friday (Nov. 1), Paluckas referred to broader European Union relations towards China, saying that Lithuania was acting “out of context” by pursuing closer relations with Taiwan. When asked whether he would seek to restore official diplomatic ties and the mutual return of national ambassadors between Vilnius and Beijing, Paluckas responded, “Absolutely yes,” reported LRT. 

When asked whether Paluckas would force the Taiwan representative office to change its name, he did not give a definitive answer. Likewise, when discussing what measures might be required to restore diplomatic relations with Taiwan, he said he would not speculate.