Taiwan buys 20,000 bottles of Lithuania rum destined for China
05 January 2021
BBC News
Taiwan is sharing tips with the public on how to drink and cook with rum after it bought 20,000 bottles of Lithuanian rum bound for China.
State-run media said Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp (TTL) purchased the rum after learning that it could be blocked from entering China.
It comes after Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy there, a potential sign of growing ties.
China downgraded its diplomatic relations with Lithuania days after.
The embassy in Lithuania bears the name Taiwan rather than “Chinese Taipei”, the name used by many foreign nations to avoid offending China.
While Taiwan is a self-governed democratic state, Beijing sees it as part of its territory. It has stepped up pressure in the past year to isolate the island from its international allies.
