China downgraded its diplomatic ties with Lithuania on Nov. 21 after Taiwan opened a de facto embassy in the capital Vilnius. Lithuania drew the wrath of the Chinese regime after allowing Taiwan to open an office using its own name in Vilnius this summer. Beijing recalled its envoy from Lithuania in August and expelled the Lithuanian ambassador from China. The regime also reportedly stopped issuing new export permits for Lithuanian food. The Chinese regime has claimed the self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory to be taken by force if necessary. It has also pressured other governments to adopt its claims by attempting to stop them from forming ties with the democratically governed island. Lithuania’s move “undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs … creating an egregious precedent in the world,” Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. “The Lithuanian government must bear …