Chinese diplomats disrupted a pro-Hong Kong protest in Lithuania on the anniversary of a major anti-Soviet demonstration, according to the Baltic nation’s top diplomat, resulting in the arrest of two Chinese citizens.
“The behavior of some diplomats crossed that line diplomats should have,” Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevičius told reporters in Vilnius. “Lithuania is a free country and one can express thoughts and opinions here but that should be done in accordance with the public order. It applies, first of all, to citizens, but the diplomatic corps must be neutral.”
The foreign minister aired that public rebuke after summoning the Chinese ambassador to lodge a formal protest on Monday, warning the embassy not to “violate the democratic freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of Lithuania and disturb public order.” Chinese diplomats were filmed clashing with demonstrators on Aug. 23, when supporters of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong made a human chain in homage to the Baltic Way 30 years earlier. In 1989, about 2 million people formed a human chain that spanned over 400 miles across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to protest their treatment in the Soviet Union.
“I reviewed filmed footage of the protest, and I saw that the Chinese ambassador was present at the sidelines, and was several times approached by people from the protest,” Mantas Adomėnas, the member of Parliament who organized the protest, told Reuters.
The Chinese denied any wrongdoing. “It is a spontaneous action of the Chinese citizens expressing their dissatisfaction with a handful of anti-China activists’ support to the rioters in Hong Kong, China,” the embassy told local media.
Linkevičius’ protest drew applause from a human rights group that also commemorated the Baltic Way in a reenactment on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
“Yes, good for Lithuania!” Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation Executive Director Marion Smith told the Washington Examiner. “Lithuania knows from historical experience how Communist governments try to suppress dissident voices around the world.”
Chinese diplomats have encouraged clashes around the world between pro-Beijing students and supporters of the Hong Kong protests, which began in opposition to an extradition bill that would allow the mainland Chinese government to seize residents of the semi-autonomous city based on flimsy evidence. The protests, which have rocked the former British colony throughout the summer, have been mirrored on university campuses in Australia and New Zealand, with communist supporters getting violent in many cases.
The Aug. 23 clashes in Vilnius resulted in two arrests. “It is only natural and totally reasonable for overseas Chinese citizens to express indignation and opposition towards the violent offenses in Hong Kong and attempts to split China and tarnish its image,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Tuesday, brushing off Lithuania’s complaint.
Lithuanian intelligence services identified China as a threat in February, pointing to the “increasingly aggressive” activities of Chinese spies. “Primarily, China’s domestic policy issues drive Chinese intelligence activities in Lithuania,” read a government report. “For example, it seeks that Lithuania would not support independence of Tibet and Taiwan and would not address these issues at the international level.”
Chinese officials are emboldened by their growing economic influence in the region, the report suggested. The country is using telecommunications giant Huawei to build its 5G infrastructure. Linkevičius added that he hopes the incident won’t harm ties between the two countries, saying they “have been developing pragmatically.”
