Commentary: Lithuania must take swift actions to correct wrongdoings on Taiwan-related issues

BEIJING, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- For the Lithuanian government, recognizing its mistake on the Taiwan-related issues is a step in the right direction, but only the first step.

To repair the damaged China-Lithuania relations, the European nation needs further swift actions to rectify the wrongdoings.

According to media reports, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Tuesday that it was a mistake for the Lithuanian government to allow the Taiwan authorities to set up a "representative office" under the name of Taiwan in Lithuania.

In response to the wrongdoings, which are a brazen breach of the one-China principle, China decided in November to downgrade the diplomatic relations with Lithuania to the level of charge d'affaires.

The countermeasures taken by China are legitimate and reasonable responses to the wrongdoings from the Lithuanian side that have severely infringed upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and gravely hurt China's core interests. Any sovereign and independent country would do the same if in China's shoes.

In response to Lithuanian president's latest statement, the Chinese government urges actions on the ground to correct the mistake, which are far more important.

In the meantime, the Taiwan authorities should be aware that whatever they do to seek so-called "Taiwan independence," they cannot change the fact that Taiwan is part of China. Neither can they shake the international support for the one-China principle.