Lithuania plans September opening of Taiwan office, says China exports at zero

But Neliupsiene said the value of direct exports to China last year - 240 million euros ($251.59 million) - could be made up in other markets, like Taiwan, or elsewhere in Asia. "One of the policies this government, our government, pursues, is actually the policy of diversification," she said.

Lithuania plans to open a representative office in Taiwan in September, one of its deputy ministers said on Wednesday, part of a bolstering of ties with the island that has infuriated China and led, she added, to exports falling to almost zero. Lithuania has come under sustained pressure from China, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, to reverse a decision last year to allow the island to open a de facto embassy in the capital, Vilnius, under its own name.

China has downgraded diplomatic ties with Lithuania and pressured multinationals to sever ties with it, while urging it to correct its "mistakes". Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Vice Minister of Economy and Innovation Jovita Neliupsiene said Lithuania hoped its reciprocal office in Taiwan would open "as of September", adding she had scouted out some locations during her visit.

Taiwan has stepped up its food imports from Lithuania - most recently rum - to help ease the impact of Chinese curbs on its goods like beer, dairy and beef. Neliupsiene said China had been an important export partner, but its exports to China in the first quarter had fallen to "close to zero" year on year.

"Of course, it's very painful for certain sectors, for certain businesses and certain parts of the economy," she said. But Neliupsiene said the value of direct exports to China last year - 240 million euros ($251.59 million) - could be made up in other markets, like Taiwan, or elsewhere in Asia.

"One of the policies this government, our government, pursues, is actually the policy of diversification," she said. "I do believe that finding good, solid, trusted, and reliable partners in Taiwan and in other Indo-Pacific countries will be even more beneficial to us than before."

The European Union, of which Lithuania is a member, launched a challenge at the World Trade Organization in January, accusing China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania that it says threaten the integrity of the EU's single market. ($1 = 0.9539 euros)