China announced on Sunday that it would downgrade its diplomatic relations with Lithuania from the ambassadorial level to the charge d'affaires level. This is a clear response to Lithuania's opening of a representative office of the Taiwan authorities in the country's capital in the name of Taiwan in spite of China's opposition. This is also a warning: If Lithuania takes further destructive actions on the Taiwan issue, China may sever diplomatic relations with it.

Since the beginning of this year, Lithuania has continued to act maliciously against China. In May, the Lithuanian Parliament passed a motion on the so-called "genocide" and "crimes of human rights violations" in Xinjiang; then Lithuania announced its withdrawal from the China-Central and Eastern European "17+1" cooperation mechanism, and tried to pull other EU countries to withdraw together; In July, Lithuania announced that it would set up a so-called "office" in Taiwan in October or November this year; in early November, seven members of the European Parliament "visited" Taiwan, including former Lithuanian Prime Minister Kubilius.

As Lithuania's provocations against China on the Taiwan issue have become more and more serious, China's countermeasures have gradually escalated. On August 10, China decided to recall the Chinese ambassador to Lithuania and asked the Lithuanian government to recall the ambassador to China.