|
Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute will cooperate
with Lithuania's electronics manufacturer Teltonika to build
semiconductor technology capabilities in the Baltic country,
said Eric Huang, head of the representative office.
Over two dozen Taiwanese scholarships for Lithuanians will be
offered for technical training, he added.
"This is not a transaction (in exchange of Lithuania allowing
opening of the office)", said Huang. "It is because Taiwan would
like to work with Lithuania together to strengthen the
resilience of our democratic supply chain in the face of
coercion by autocracies".
Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a de-facto embassy in its
country in November last year, angering China which views the
democratically-governed island as its own territory.
Beijing subsequently downgraded diplomatic relations with
Lithuania, curbed trade and pressured multinational companies to
sever ties with the nation of 2.8 million people.
The European Union has launched a World Trade Organisation
challenge over the trade curbs, supported by the United States,
the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Taiwan.
Earlier this year, Taiwan launched a 200-million-euro equity
investment fund and a 1-billion-euro loan facility for Lithuania
and other central and eastern European countries.
The first equity investments totalling 10 million euros in
Lithuanian would be completed by early next year, said Huang,
adding that first loans amounting to 9 million euros should be
dispersed by the end of this month.
Taiwan also granted import permits for Lithuanian diary, fish
and egg products, and could allow imports of its beef by the end
of the year.
Lithuania formally launched its own representation in Taiwan on
Monday.
($1 = 1.0021 euros)
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas, editing by Terje Solsvik and Emelia
Sithole-Matarise)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
