The Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in China hosted the 32nd Anniversary of Rwanda's Liberation (or Kwibohora32) in Beijing on July 3, where Rwandan Ambassador to China James Kimonyo underlined the role of Chinese investments in Rwanda's development in infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, mining, healthcare, agriculture, education, technology, and many other sectors.

The east-central African country marks Liberation Day every year on July 4, when the Rwandan Patriotic Army ended the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi.

Ambassador Kimonyo, in his opening remarks, paid profound tribute to the heroes and heroines who fought courageously and selflessly, some of whom paid the ultimate price to liberate Rwanda. "Kwibohora is not merely a commemoration of victory over evil, but also a celebration of extraordinary resilience of our people and visionary leadership that enabled Rwanda to rise, rebuild and thrive," said Kimonyo.

He said that Rwanda stands as a testament to what can be achieved with a visionary and accountable leadership that puts people at the center of its political agenda, rallying them around a common purpose and a shared vision for the future.

Over the past three decades, Rwanda has maintained strong economic growth, becoming one of Africa's fastest-growing economies.

Kimonyo expressed the mission's appreciation and gratitude for countries and partners who have contributed to the country's growth, and particularly underscored the relations between the Republic of Rwanda and the People's Republic of China that have existed for 55 years.

The ambassador highlighted a few important areas of bilateral cooperation. China stands as top source of Foreign Direct Investment to Rwanda and largest trading partner. Chinese investments have contributed significantly to Rwanda's development in infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, mining, healthcare, agriculture, education, technology, and many other sectors.

As for tourism, Rwanda has increasingly become one of the preferred destinations for Chinese travelers, he added.
Liu Xianfa, the Special Representative of the Chinese Government on African Affairs, extended warm congratulations to the government and people of Rwanda over the Liberation Day and expressed sincere gratitude to people from all walks of life who have long worked for China-Rwanda friendship.

Over the past more than 30 years, the Rwanda government and people have achieved national reconstruction in a short period of time, and sustained rapid economic growth, blazing a unique path of governance and development. China sincerely wishes Rwanda ever greater success in realizing its Vision 2050, said Liu.

China-Rwanda friendship surmounts mountains and oceans and enjoys a long history. "Over the past 55 years, despite the changing international landscape, China and Rwanda have always treated each other as equals and helped each other in need, forging a brotherly friendship and yielding fruitful results in cooperation in various fields," he said.

Liu noted that cooperation in agriculture and road infrastructure among other areas keeps making new headways.

Examples include the Giseke Dam and Irrigation Project, a major agricultural and climate-resilience initiative located in the Gisagara District of Rwanda's Southern Province, the China-Africa Cooperation Center on Satellite Remote Sensing Application, a joint initiative that provides African countries with free access to high-resolution Earth observation imagery and spatial software, and the 10-kilometer road upgrading project in Kigali, a key economic artery linking the city center, the Masaka area, and the eastern part of Rwanda.

Most notably, China's full zero-tariff policy for Africa has helped Rwanda increase its exports to China by 42 percent year-on-year in 2025, and its export of coffee, tea and other agricultural products to China shows an upward trend, Liu noted.

China is ready to work with Rwanda to expand cooperation in mining, technology and green development, and set a fine example for the high-quality development and China-Africa cooperation, said Liu.

"We believe that African diplomatic envoys and friends present today will continue to actively promote their countries quality products, fully leverage China's zero-tariff policy, and share the opportunities of China's vast market," he said.

From the first handshake between Chinese and African leaders across mountains and oceans during the Bandung Conference in April 1955 in Indonesia, which opened a new era of South-South economic cooperation, to the strong call on jointly building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era voiced at the FOCAC Beijing Summit, China and Africa have always stood in solidarity through thick and thin for joint development, Liu stressed.

In a world of turbulence and transformation, China and Africa should strengthen solidarity and cooperation, jointly safeguard the common interests of the Global South, and uphold international fairness and justice, Liu pointed out.

China will work with African friends to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win, promote the common value of humanity, build a new type of international relations and advance the four global initiatives, said Liu.

Following a packed schedule of visits in South China's Guangdong Province and Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to continue a state visit to China, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Some experts on China-Africa relations said on Thursday that the visits demonstrate that China-Namibia cooperation, and even China-Africa cooperation more broadly, has moved beyond the traditional one-way model centered on resources and markets. It is now expanding into a wider range of areas, including industrialization, green development, and the improvement of people's livelihoods, they noted. 

Nandi-Ndaitwah visited Chengdu in Sichuan on Wednesday. Impressed by the city's modern agricultural achievements, she said that she would return and that Namibia plans to purchase seeds and equipment, according to a video by Sichuan Daily. 

In Sichuan, she also met local officials and representatives from Chinese companies including Sichuan Investment Group, China National Chemical Engineering, and Sichuan Development Holding Co, aiming to deepen cooperation between the two sides, according to Namibian Presidency, the official Facebook account of Presidency of the Republic of Namibia. 

This is Nandi-Ndaitwah's first trip to China since assuming office, according to the website of the government of Guangzhou, where she started her week-long state visit in China on Sunday. 

Reflecting on the strong comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two nations, the visit highlights a shared commitment to mutual respect, solidarity and sustainable development, which is set to deepen economic cooperation and advance joint initiatives that bring practical advantages to people in both countries, according to Namibian Presidency on Monday. 

In Sichuan, the Namibian president also visited the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, learning more from agricultural-related technologies, according to the official statement. 

Driven by the benefits of the zero-tariff initiative and the complementary market demand on both sides, China-Namibia agricultural cooperation has continued to expand, opening broader access to international markets for Namibian agricultural products. At the same time, China has continued to support Namibia in improving its agricultural productivity, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday. 

In Guangdong, the Namibian president visited the China General Nuclear (CGN) Power Cooperation and Chinese tech company Huawei where she also watched a welcome dance performed by robots, according to videos and releases on Namibian Presidency. 

From the itinerary, the visit of the Namibian president is a highly pragmatic one with a clearly defined agenda for industrial cooperation, some Chinese experts said. 

"From lithium battery manufacturing and skills transfer in Guangdong, to seed and agricultural machinery procurement in Sichuan, each stop featured concrete industrial cooperation objectives. The visit underscored Namibia's development-oriented approach and sent a strong diplomatic signal of solidarity among Global South countries in pursuing shared development and greater self-reliance," Liu Qinghai, research fellow at the Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

According to GDToday, choosing Guangdong as the first stop for Nandi-Ndaitwah's visit in China is no coincidence: the province stands as China's most economically dynamic region and a vital gateway for China-African engagement. Guangdong has forged increasingly close ties with Namibia in recent years through robust trade, high-level policy dialogue, and practical projects that deliver water, jobs, food, and hope.

"Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Guangdong will strengthen the alignment of its development strategies with those of Namibia, make full use of policy dividends such as China's zero-tariff treatment for Namibia, and leverage Guangdong's comparative strengths to expand cooperation in mineral resource development, the integrated utilization of new energy, infrastructure construction, and agricultural product processing, Huang Kunming, secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, told the Namibian president on Monday, according to Shenzhen Daily. 

Guangdong will also support the entry of high-quality and competitive products from both sides into each other's markets, encourage more Guangdong enterprises to invest and do business in Namibia, promote the upgrading of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, and better support Namibia's poverty reduction efforts as well as its national prosperity and stability, Huang said. 

Against the backdrop of the successful 2024 Beijing Summit of the FOCAC, Namibia's visit demonstrated a pathway for deepening bilateral relations under the FOCAC framework: moving from political mutual trust to industrial chain collaboration, and from resource trade to cooperation in value-added processing and manufacturing, Liu said. 

Namibia possesses abundant strategic mineral resources, but its exports are still largely dominated by raw minerals or primary products, leaving only limited added value within the country. In the future, China and Namibia could expand cooperation in areas such as mineral processing, smelting, primary material processing, and the testing and certification of critical minerals, thereby enhancing Namibia's mineral processing capacity, Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

"Namibia is endowed with abundant high-quality renewable energy resources, including solar and wind power. Cooperation between China and Namibia in these areas has the potential to become an important driver of Namibia's development," Song said. 

Whether in mineral development or green hydrogen projects, success depends on supporting infrastructure such as electricity, water resources, and ports. China-Namibia cooperation in the mining sector will provide important support for enhancing Namibia's industrial resilience, she added. 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday announced that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of the Solomon Islands Rick Houenipwela will pay an official visit to China from July 10 to 15, at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. 

Against the backdrop of certain external noise aiming to undermine China-Solomon Islands ties, this visit sends a clear signal that the two countries will continue to consolidate their relations and deepen practical cooperation, analysts said.

Elaborating on Houenipwela's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing on Friday that through this visit, China looks forward to enhancing political mutual trust, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and promoting the steady development of China-Solomon Islands relations so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Noting that the visit marks Houenipwela's first official visit to China since he took office, Mao said that China and the Solomon Islands are comprehensive strategic partners featuring mutual respect and common development for a new era.

"Since our diplomatic ties were established in 2019, China-Solomon Islands relations have enjoyed all-round and rapid development, standing as a stellar example of equality and mutually beneficial cooperation among developing countries," the spokesperson noted.

In 2019, the Solomon Islands announced in a statement that it recognized the one-China principle and severed the so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan island. In 2024, the two sides agreed to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the Solomon Islands in the new era based on mutual respect and common development, and to build a community with a shared future between China and the Solomon Islands in the new era.

Cooperation between China and the Solomon Islands is a two-way partnership based on equality and mutual benefit, free of political strings and solely geared toward win-win development, Chen Hong, director of Asia Pacific Studies Centre at East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Friday. 

"Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the Solomon Islands has seen steady growth in exports of its agricultural, aquatic and mineral products to China," Chen said. "In return, China has delivered tangible benefits to the Solomon Islands' people through practical support in infrastructure, communications, healthcare and education. Bilateral cooperation boasts a solid foundation and broad prospects."

Through mutually beneficial cooperation with China, the socioeconomic shortcomings stemming from prolonged Western colonial exploitation in the Solomon Islands are being steadily remedied, the expert noted.  

However, some Western politicians and media outlets have been making unfounded claims against China-Solomon Islands ties. 

During a recent visit to the Solomon Islands, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to deepen bilateral ties with Solomon Islands, while criticizing China's strategic missile launch in the high seas of the Pacific Ocean, according to media reports. 

"Australia and its ally the United States have long considered the South Pacific within their sphere of influence," reads a Reuters report, which claimed that though China is Australia's largest trading partner, Canberra remains wary of Beijing's "expanding influence in the Pacific."

Australia's moves bear strong overtones of bloc politics and exclusivity, and it attempts to meddle in the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the Solomon Islands through coercive pressure and enticement targeting the island nation, said Chen.

By contrast, China maintains an inclusive stance on cooperation between Pacific Island countries and all other nations, as long as such partnerships are not directed against any third party, and stands ready to pursue trilateral and multilateral initiatives with others to advance regional shared development, peace and stability, Chen added. 

According to the expert, amid mounting external pressure, pervasive disruptive narratives and widespread uncertainties, the visit delivers an unequivocal message that China and the Solomon Islands will steadfastly consolidate bilateral ties and deepen all-round cooperation. 

Direct high-level engagement allows the two sides to exchange in-depth views and align positions on shared priorities, laying a solid foundation for sustained growth of bilateral relations, he noted. 

The government and leadership of Paraguay need to ask themselves what the people want, what best serves Paraguay's fundamental and long-term interest and where the arc of history bends, and decide whether they should stop being on the wrong side of history and join the overwhelming majority of countries instead, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday after Paraguay's foreign minister claimed that the country is open to trade with China, as long as it does not have to sever its so-called ties with Taiwan island.

Chinese expert dismissed Paraguay's foreign minister's remarks as an attempt to "have it both ways." Seeking the economic benefits of closer ties with China while harming China's core interests is "wishful thinking," the expert said, adding that such a proposition would never be accepted by Beijing.

During a summit in Paraguay with leaders of the South American Mercosur bloc on Tuesday, where trade issues were discussed, Paraguay's Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez said that Paraguay does not refuse to establish trade relations with China, as long as there are no conditions regarding Paraguay's so-called diplomatic ties with Taiwan island, according to the Strait Times. 

Paraguay is the only South American country that has so-called diplomatic ties with Taiwan authorities, and is the only Mercosur member that does not maintain diplomatic relations with China. 

The claims made by Paraguay's foreign minister are obviously trying to "have it all," Sun Hongbo, a researcher in China-Latin American relations at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times, noting that any move that undermines China's core interests will inevitably prompt a policy response. Economic and trade cooperation cannot be separated from political fundamentals, nor can it advance at the expense of China's core interests.

Sun said Paraguay's proposal to deepen trade ties with China while retaining so-called diplomatic relations with island of Taiwan amounted to "wishful thinking." Whether such an arrangement is possible ultimately depends on China's policy, not Paraguay's aspirations.

According to Foreign Trade Report released by the Paraguay's Department of External Sector Statistics, China remained Paraguay's largest supplier of goods as of the end of March 2026, the country's El Nacional reported.

Major imports from China included mobile phones, portable data-processing equipment, and tires.

Ramirez's remarks came after Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the South American bloc was advancing talks on an economic partnership with Japan, adding: "Very soon, we want to do the same with China," according to La Tribuna, a Paraguayan newspaper. 

As other Latin America countries explore ways to deepen economic ties with China, Paraguay risks confining itself to an increasingly narrow diplomatic position, said Sun, noting that China is one of the world's largest consumer markets and a crucial destination for Latin American agricultural products, energy and minerals, as well as a key partner in infrastructure investment. 

Seeking greater access to that market while rejecting the political foundation Beijing regards as non-negotiable ultimately risks hurting Paraguay's own interest. Sun said that the country has reached a point where it needs to reassess the limits of its current policy toward island of Taiwan.

When being asked that Paraguay's president Santiago Peña is visiting Taiwan with a delegation of business leaders in May, Lin Jian, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the one-China principle is a basic norm in international relations and a prevailing international consensus. On the basis of this principle, a total of 183 countries have established diplomatic relations with China. 

"We urge the Paraguayan authorities to come to the right side of history as soon as possible, and make the right decision to recognize the one-China principle and sever so-called diplomatic ties with the Taiwan authorities," said Lin. 

At the invitation of Denmark's Minister for Foreign Affairs Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen, and Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will visit the four countries from July 2 to 8, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Tuesday.

Asked about China's views on relations with Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway and expectations for Wang's upcoming visits, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday at a regular press conference that the four countries are among the first European countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations 

Guo said recent years have seen steady and robust development of relations between China and the four countries, with fruitful cooperation in green transition, trade and investment, and sci-tech innovation, and broad-based consensus on upholding multilateralism and free trade and joint response to global challenges, including climate change.

During the visit, Wang will hold talks with his counterparts in the four countries respectively to have in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest, the spokesperson said.

Feng Zhongping, director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the visit is expected to not only focus on international issues, but also on deepening cooperation in areas such as green transition, innovation and trade, while reaffirming shared support for multilateralism and free trade at a time of global uncertainty.

Although bilateral relations between China and the four countries may have encountered some challenges, policies among the Nordic countries on China are now showing a trend toward returning to pragmatism. This is a reflection of their recognition of China's important role in advancing multilateral cooperation, Feng said.

At the press conference, spokesperson Guo outlined the strategic positioning of China's bilateral relations with the four countries respectively. He said that Denmark is China's comprehensive strategic partner in Northern Europe, adding that this will be the first visit by a Chinese foreign minister to Denmark in 15 years, and the first high-level face-to-face meeting after the new Danish government took office. China hopes to consolidate mutual trust, expand cooperation and deepen friendship with Denmark through the visit to open up new prospects for the China-Denmark comprehensive strategic partnership, Guo said.

Sweden is China's largest trading partner in Northern Europe. The upcoming visit will be the first by a Chinese foreign minister to Sweden in 22 years. Through the visit, China looks forward to enhancing communication, deepening mutual trust and expanding cooperation with Sweden to consolidate the sound momentum of growth in bilateral relations, the spokesperson said.

China and Finland are future-oriented new-type cooperative partners. Recent years have seen successive visits to China by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Speaker of Finnish Parliament Jussi Halla-aho, and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. The two sides have had close high-level exchanges and fruitful practical cooperation in various fields. China hopes that the visit will enable the two sides to better deliver on the important common understandings between the leaders and provide fresh impetus for the development of the China-Finland partnership, Guo said.

Norway is one of the first countries to recognize China's market economy status. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store visited China in 2024 as the two countries marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, which gave a strong boost to the development of bilateral ties. Through the visit, China will work with Norway to deliver on the important common understandings between the leaders, have in-depth exchanges of views on green transition, global governance, and other bilateral and multilateral issues, and promote the continued steady and sound development of China-Norway relations, said Guo.

Feng said that the invitation from the four Nordic countries, together with Wang's multiple visits to Europe since the beginning of the year, symbolizes a shift in which many European countries are increasingly recognizing China's importance as a partner.

At the Munich Security Conference in February, Wang said that China and Europe are "partners, not opponents, and certainly not "systemic rivals,'" adding that "Europe's challenges do not come from China" and urging joint efforts with the EU to address global challenges.

In Miaojia Village, east China's Zhejiang Province, villagers rarely describe Lu Rongjie by his official title as chief of the local Communist Party of China (CPC) organization. Instead, they refer to him by the shoes on his feet.

The village Party chief is known locally as a "running-shoe cadre," a nod to his non-stop rounds and on-the-ground work style. During the day, when he's not in the office, he is usually out visiting the villagers.

"Villagers are the most straightforward. Their joys and worries are all written on their faces," Lu said. "So we must talk with them in person to spot their concerns and unresolved issues before they grow."

Lu's work style reflects a longstanding principle of the CPC: maintaining close ties with the people. This principle has shaped the Party's grassroots governance since its founding more than a century ago.

Under the leadership of the Party, China's rural areas have undergone tremendous transformations, securing a sweeping victory in eliminating absolute poverty in 2020 before embarking on rural revitalization.

None of these goals could be achieved without Party organizations in hundreds of thousands of administrative villages, said Huang Zuhui, an expert at China Academy for Rural Development of Zhejiang University, adding that they are the final link in turning blueprints like the five-year plans into reality.

A VILLAGE CANTEEN THAT BECAME COMMUNITY HUB

Village Party organizations are tasked with a wide range of affairs. After becoming Miaojia's Party secretary, Lu led the whole village to improve its environment, develop flower fields, build public spaces and explore new rural business opportunities. Yet he said rural revitalization cannot be judged by scenery, industries or revenue alone -- it must improve the daily lives of residents ultimately.

One problem kept appearing during his visits: elderly care.

Most elderly villagers chose to remain in Miaojia, but their working children could not regularly prepare daily meals. Seniors aged 60 and over make up nearly a third of the village, making convenient, affordable local dining a vital need.

Lu and the village Party organization began to look for a solution inside the village. In May 2024, the Miaojia Village canteen opened. The renovated building brought together a dining hall, a tea house, a rural auditorium stage and leisure spaces. Villagers can have meals, drink tea, watch performances, play chess and spend time with neighbors there.

The village allocated more than 200,000 yuan (about 29,000 US dollars) each year to subsidize meals for elderly people. Residents aged 70 and above can enjoy discounted meals, while those aged 90 and above can eat for free.

At the canteen's launch, 99-year-old resident Zhou Yinfang was among the first to eat there, praising the meal repeatedly. For Lu, that moment showed why the canteen mattered.

Beyond solving the daily dining difficulties of elderly villagers, the canteen helped complete the village's broader five-minute service network. Miaojia has rolled out a string of amenities, such as a supermarket, childcare facility, and cultural plaza.

The canteen also created a small local economic cycle. Run by the village collective, it employs local residents and sources ingredients from the village's shared-prosperity supermarket. The single public service facility thus delivers multiple gains: elder care support, local jobs, and revenue for the village collective.
RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUPPORT

In another village of Zhejiang, the story of rural revitalization began with rural space waiting to be rediscovered.

Lizu Village was once known locally as Shuiniujiao, meaning water buffalo horn, a name that reflected its old and remote image. It used to have limited industries, few visitors and little appeal for young people.

Today, Lizu has become known as a cultural and creative village, attracting entrepreneurs, designers, shop owners and youngsters who want to test new ideas in the countryside.

Behind these changes is a daily service system supported by village-level Party organizations and local operators. Local authorities renovate vacant homes, upgrade public areas, recruit entrepreneurs, match business demands with village resources, and back individual stores to join a unified village brand.

An open area in Lizu that used to be idle land was reshaped into an aesthetic farm with lawns, tents, outdoor weddings and camping activities, while a local pond once muddied and used by villagers to wash produce and clothes has undergone full restoration into an ecological scenic spot, with a dedicated eco-friendly laundry facility built nearby.

Bao Liping was one of those who came to Lizu to find business opportunities. At first, Bao was not sure whether her clothes shop would work, as the village was not a traditional commercial district and rural entrepreneurship could be unpredictable. However, the village environment combined with local support gave her a reason to try.

"A clean and attractive village is only the starting point. We want to continuously bring tangible and measurable gains for villagers," said Fang Haolong, Party secretary of Lizu.
CONNECTING FARMERS WITH TECHNOLOGY, MARKETS

Similar stories are unfolding elsewhere across China. In Meixian County of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, kiwi fruit cultivation has evolved into a full industrial chain connecting Party organizations, technical support, cooperatives, processors, and markets.

In the county, more than 2,600 Party-member technicians are working out in the fields to make the farming of this fruit easier for farmers.

With their assistance, fruit grower Zhao Junrong in Tianjiazhai Village can now check his orchard from home via a mobile phone application. On the screen, temperature, humidity and light conditions are all displayed in real time.

"In the past, farming depended on the weather. Now we look at the mobile phone app," Zhao said. "When to water and when to fertilize, the system understands better than people."
Wang Fang, a fruit grower in Zaolin Village, echoed this sentiment. "Previously, when I planted by myself, I worried about technology and sales," Wang said. "Now the cooperative handles all management and sales collectively. I only need to focus on farming."

In recent years, Meixian County has also introduced processing enterprises to boost the villagers' income from the fruit. Last year, a total of 18,500 tonnes of fresh fruit and processed products were sold to markets as far as Southeast Asia and Russia, with sales reaching 154 million yuan.

From Miaojia's community canteen, to Lizu's entrepreneurship, and to Meixian's kiwi orchards, China's rural revitalization unfolds through dedicated villagers, robust grassroots Party organizations, and the belief that the countryside will surely have an even brighter future.

In two consecutive days, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has remarked on ties with China. He said on Friday the future of Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys in his post will depend on progress in two areas: Normalizing relations with China and "delivering on commitments made to Taiwan," Lithuanian media LRT reported.

A Chinese scholar argued that despite Lithuania's overtures for better bilateral ties, the remarks reveal an opportunistic mindset. By linking the foreign minister's political fate to both China rapprochement and pledges to the Taiwan region, the statement lays bare a fence-sitting approach and a lack of sincerity in improving ties with China.

"Certain results must be put on the table," Nauseda told reporters in Brussels, according to LRT. "If they are satisfactory, everything will be fine and I hope that Budrys will be able to continue in office. If not, then we will look at the matter differently."

The remarks marked the second time in two days that the Lithuanian president has underscored the importance of ties with China and voiced expectations for mending bilateral relations.

On Thursday, Nauseda has told the Bloomberg TV in an interview in Brussels that he expects to see the first results of the country's diplomatic outreach to China within the next six months, as the Baltic nation moves to mend ties with China following a spat over island of Taiwan.

A Chinese diplomatic scholar who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Saturday that Lithuania's eagerness to mend ties with China has become plainly evident. Having repeatedly provoked and crossed red lines over the Taiwan question in the past, the country is now trapped in a dual economic and diplomatic predicament. Its only way out lies in mending ties and deepening cooperation with China.

According to the scholar, the president's pressure on the foreign minister also reveals deep rifts within Lithuania's political establishment regarding its past anti-China policies. Current decision-makers have acknowledged that the previous path is untenable and intend to readjust their course.

Nevertheless, the expert pointed out that despite Lithuania's overtures for better bilateral ties, the remarks reveal an opportunistic mindset. Such fence-sitting tactics demonstrate a grave lack of sincerity and prove that the country still fails to grasp the full gravity of the Taiwan question.

According to LRT, recent criticism [on Budrys] has focused in particular on what some see as insufficient efforts to restore diplomatic ties with China, and on remarks Budrys made about NATO's potential to strike the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The minister himself has said that relations with China are not currently his top foreign policy priority.

The Lithuanian government, in disregard of the Chinese side's strong objection and repeated dissuasion, approved the establishment of the so-called "Taiwanese Representative Office" in Lithuania by Taiwan authorities in August 2021. Under the one-China principle, any exchanges with China's Taiwan should be civil and non-official. By allowing the establishment of a "representative office" under the name of "Taiwanese," Vilnius has apparently reneged on the political commitments it made in the communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Lithuania.

Since then, China has adopted a slew of legitimate, reasonable and lawful countermeasures including a diplomatic downgrade between China and Lithuania.

Over the past four years, economic and trade relations between China and Lithuania have experienced a "precipitous drop": Data showed that Lithuania's exports to China plummeted by more than 50 percent; pillar industries such as timber and dairy suffered heavy losses, with the century-old dairy company Rokiskio Suris also taking a hit; and the Baltic deep-water port of Klaipeda saw a sharp reduction in throughput due to the rerouting of China-Europe freight trains. It can be said that Vilnius has paid a heavy price for its strategic shortsightedness and political opportunistic actions.

In February this year, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said that she would be prepared to consider renaming an office set up by the Taiwan regional authority in her country, and she reiterated that the opening of the so-called "Taiwanese Representative Office" in Lithuania has "brought no benefits" from the region and has damaged relations with China, LRT reported.

"The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair. Lithuania's wishful thinking of profiting from both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan is bound to end in vain," Chinese expert stressed. Only by abiding by relevant UN resolutions and basic norms of international relations, and firmly adhering to the one-China principle, can Lithuania bring bilateral relations back on track. Should it continue to gamble and play with fire on Taiwan question, Lithuania alone will bear all the consequences and losses, the expert said.