Any country that provokes China's core interests is bound to find itself on the receiving end of countermeasures

Lithuania Stands Up to China: Europe Should Too

by Soeren Kern

• Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says that his country will not capitulate to bullying from China and that he is committed to defending the principles and values of democracy from attack.
• "China is trying to make an example out of us — a negative example — so that other countries do not follow our path. Therefore, it is a matter of principle how the Western community, the United States, and European Union react." — Arnoldas Pranckevičius, Lithuania's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• "The tiny nation of Lithuania is punching way above its weight and has set a benchmark that the rest of the European Union must support and follow. Such leadership, particularly when stronger countries like Germany and France are buckling under the pressure and onslaught of this rising rogue nation, needs to be supported by countries across the world." — Gautam Chikermane, Vice President, Observer Research Foundation.
• "It is time for the EU to end its extramarital affairs with authoritarianism.... That China is a threat to democracies, in general, and the EU, in particular, is visible to all but the EU. Other than geography, the essence of the EU is values. And one event after another, one country at a time, the EU is giving them up." — Gautam Chikermane.
• "China as a communist superpower is so scared of 3-million Lithuania on the other side of the globe. Lithuania is the bravest country in Europe. We should all stand up with Lithuania." — Jakub Janda, Director, European Values Center for Security Policy.
• "We support democracy, as we will never forget the cruel lesson of living under occupation by a Communist regime for 50 years." — Lithuanian Member of Parliament Dovilė Šakalienė.
• "We would like to have relations with China based on the principle of mutual respect. Otherwise, the dialogue turns into unilateral ultimatums, requirements which are not acceptable in international relations." — Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, in an interview with the Financial Times.

Read more here  -  Source: www.gatestoneinstitute.org