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While I generally think the EU should have a deeper relationship with Taiwan, I disagree with your interpretation of what happened here. Lithuania has weak trad
by bakuninsbart 5y ago
While I generally think the EU should have a deeper relationship with Taiwan, I disagree with your interpretation of what happened here. Lithuania has weak trade relations with the PRC in the first place, and got basically paid by the US to provoke the PRC. The EU having no coordinated foreign policy, but being supposed to show solidarity is ill equipped to react to a member state just going of the rails, and this now basically forces the hands of the other members.
This sets a dangerous precedent: A member state shouldn't be able to start shit and then hide behind the others, it is a perversion of the idea of solidarity. If the rest of the EU shows major Support for Lithuania now, it will signal that small countries can dictate policy through stunts like these.
It also once again shows that the US really loves to manipulate supposed allies if it benefits them, and that the transatlantic partnership must be fundamentally redefined.
- puszczyk 5y ago> Lithuania … got basically paid by the US to provoke the PRC Any links on that?
- bakuninsbart 5y agohttps://www.reuters.com/business/lithuania-get-us-trade-support-it-faces-china-fury-over-taiwan-2021-11-19/ https://www.reuters.com/business/lithuania-get-us-trade-supp...
- petre 5y agoThis occured after the embassy opening, one could argue that the spat with China attracted US investments. Lithuania took a step in the right direction, something other EU states (Germany in particular) are afraid to do because it will affect their trade with China. Taiwan is an independent country, regardless of what the PRC thinks or wants others to think.
- ericjang 5y agoyou seem to be implying that 1) a transaction between the US and Lithuania occurred in which Lithuania agrees to provoke PRC. 2) Lithuania provokes PRC (presumably the act involves the embassy opening). However, the article you linked publicizes the U.S. trade support which seems to have occurred after (2). The article you linked does not permit one to draw the causal inference that (1)->(2)
- hep7 5y agoUnfortunately, so few people think with logic, even on HN.