[Epoch Times, August 13, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Li Yun comprehensive report) After Lithuania, the two countries recently announced their withdrawal from the “17+1” cooperation mechanism led by Beijing. The CCP immediately announced sanctions against Lithuanian officials visiting Taiwan. The analysis pointed out that the tragic change of “17+1” to “14+1” severely damaged the CCP’s diplomatic efforts in Europe, so Beijing took Lithuania to its knees.
On the evening of August 12, the official website of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Agnė Vaiciukevičiūtė, Lithuanian Minister of State for Transport and Communications, visited Taiwan, which violated the CCP’s one-China principle and interfered in the CCP’s internal affairs. Therefore, he was sanctioned personally and the two countries were suspended. Communication between the Ministry of Transport and Communications and exchanges and cooperation in the field of international road transport.
Agnie led 11 people to visit Taiwan on August 7. She said at the press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country on the 11th that Taiwan and Lithuania are close friends and prosperous economies. The purpose of her visit to Taiwan is very clear. Support each other.
The Epoch Times columnist Wang He analyzed that after the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, the CCP responded strongly, including military exercises against Taiwan. It wanted to exert an international intimidation effect, but many countries responded to the CCP’s behavior. Very disgusted. Especially countries that have suffered communist aggression and persecution, such as Lithuania, the more the CCP oppresses, the more they want to support Taiwan.
Pelosi visited Taiwan from August 2 to 3. The CCP intimidated and suppressed Taiwan in various fields such as military and economic.
Two more countries in the Baltic Sea withdraw from the “17+1” mechanism
While the CCP’s intimidation of Taiwan is still ongoing, on August 11, the Baltic countries Estonia and Latvia announced their withdrawal from the “17+1” mechanism of “China-Central and Eastern Europe cooperation” led by Beijing.
The “17+1” cooperation mechanism is a mechanism for the meeting between leaders of Beijing and 17 Central and Eastern European countries. It was established in 2012 and is held once a year. The participating Central and Eastern European countries include: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czech Republic, etc.
Reuters reported on the 11th that the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that continuing to participate in the cooperation mechanism is no longer in line with Latvia’s strategic goals in the current international environment.
On the same day, Latvia and Estonia also issued separate statements saying that they will continue to establish constructive and pragmatic bilateral relations with China and conduct China-EU cooperation under the respect of international law, human rights and the rules-based international order.
Lithuania had announced its withdrawal from the cooperation mechanism last year. Lithuania said in a statement at the time that cooperating with Beijing “brought little to no benefit” and urged other countries to also withdraw, promoting genuine EU unity. Lithuania’s move sparked strong dissatisfaction and economic retaliation from Beijing.
Radio Free Asia reported on the 13th that the “17+1” cooperation mechanism had changed dramatically to “14+1”, which once again hit China’s diplomatic efforts in Europe. As a result, Beijing turned its anger on Lithuania, announcing sanctions on officials from the country visiting Taiwan.
The report said that in the past few months, officials in Estonia and Latvia have repeatedly warned privately to withdraw from the “17+1”, and they have tried to adopt a more euphemistic confrontation line than Lithuania, but Beijing’s sanctions against Lithuania have made Estonia and Latvia feel The lips are dead and the teeth are cold.
Estonia’s foreign minister, Urmas Reinsalu, withdrew from 17+1 less than a month after returning to power.
Taiwanese political scientist Li Youtan told Radio Free Asia that when the three Baltic countries made the decision, they emphasized to Beijing that international law, human rights and a rules-based international order cannot be done by the CCP. The CCP has been breaking the rules of the United Nations and undermining world peace. Now the leaders of Europe are about to wake up, and everyone finally knows that appeasement cannot bring peace, and that appeasement cannot make rogue countries respect the international order and human rights conventions.
Li Youtan believes that this is a very good phenomenon. The combination of the three Baltic countries and the European Union can indeed break the CCP’s attempt to divide and rule. French commentator Wang Longmeng also believes that the three Baltic countries have awakened the EU powers, and it is expected that more EU countries will withdraw from the “17+1”.
Responsible editor: Ye Ziming