According to Lithuania’s national broadcaster LRT, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry confirmed that no accredited Chinese diplomats remain at the Chinese Embassy in Lithuania. The last Chinese diplomat was denied entry at Vilnius Airport on May 18 due to visa issues and was deported to Istanbul. Lithuanian authorities stated that his diplomatic status had expired and he no longer had immunity.
The diplomatic freeze dates back to 2021 when Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a “Taiwanese Representative Office” in Vilnius, angering Beijing. In response, China downgraded its embassy to a “representative office” and revoked the diplomatic status of Lithuanian diplomats in China, leading to their full withdrawal.
China later tried to send personnel under the downgraded mission, but Lithuania refused to grant accreditation. Some Chinese diplomats remained temporarily using Schengen visa-free access, but now, with all certifications expired, China has resorted to sending diplomats from third countries on short assignments.
Lithuania warned that any unnotified Chinese personnel may be declared “persona non grata.”
Source: Epoch Times, June 17, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/6/17/n14532979.htm