Chinеse-Lithuanian relations under threat | World Defense

Chinеse-Lithuanian relations under threat

TheBalticWord

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Lithuania decided to stop participating in the so-called "17+1" format - a platform for Beijing's dialogue with the countries of the Central Europe, Balkan and Baltic regions.
Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (China-CEEC, also 17+1) is an initiative by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote business and investment relations between China and 17 European countries. The format's goals are to promote China’s Belt and Road Initiative and enhance cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, transportation, and logistics, trade, and investment.
Recently the Lithuanian authorities have put a lot of effort into promoting Lithuanian goods and products on the Chinese market.
 

Ticklishchap

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@Ticklishchap Your comments please?
The original move towards China is the most interesting feature of this article. It seems to be part of a wider move by some of the central and Eastern European members of the EU away from their Western partners and the values associated with them. This is a accompanied by different priorities for civil society, the economy and foreign policy. It is a kind of centrifugal move away from ‘core’ EU values - not dissimilar to Brexit in some ways and pointing towards a more fragmented European identity.

Some of this stems from nationalism but it is hard to see China (or Russia) as genuine defenders of the nation state. It’s possible that Lithuania’s government realises this because the historical memory of occupation and domination by larger foreign powers (fascist and communist alike) is still very strong. That region of Europe seems divided between pro-Western forms of politics and a nationalistic, heritage-based approach. Both phenomena are understandable in the context of recent independence struggles.
 
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