China expels Lithuania's envoy from Beijing in row over Taiwan office

Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory without the right to diplomatic recognition, although the island maintains informal ties with all major nations through trade offices that act as de facto embassies, including in the United States and Japan. 

Beijing: China on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to Lithuania and expelled the Baltic nation's top representative to Beijing over the country's decision to allow self-governing Taiwan to open an office in Lithuania under its own name. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory without the right to diplomatic recognition, although the island maintains informal ties with all major nations through trade offices that act as de facto embassies, including in the United States and Japan. Chinese pressure has reduced Taiwan's formal diplomatic allies to just 15. Taiwan, meanwhile, protested Tuesday to the administration of the Venice Film Festival after its entries were credited as coming from 'Chinese Taipei', under what it said was pressure from China. The term is often used in other countries in order not to offend Beijing.