China urges Lithuania to take concrete actions to improve ties

BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's Foreign Ministry on Friday urged the Lithuanian side to show sincerity and take concrete actions if the latter really wants to improve bilateral relations.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda's remarks that "fraught relations" with China have resulted in business losses in Lithuania, and the Lithuanian Foreign Minister had presented him with a plan to "de-escalate tensions."

Zhao said that the root cause of the current difficulties in bilateral relations is Lithuania's wrong actions on Taiwan related issues, which damage China's core interests and undermine the basic norms of international relations.

The international community has its fair judgement as to who is culpable for the souring of China-Lithuania ties and the ensuing escalation, he added.

The door for communication remains open, Zhao said, urging the Lithuanian side to show sincerity with concrete actions if it truly hopes to mend fences.