Young activists in Lithuania are pushing back against their own government's move to appease China, a sign that public pressure could block the renaming of Taiwan's office in Vilnius.

• Two Lithuanian youth groups rallied outside parliament, demanding the government drop plans to rename Taiwan's representative office under pressure from China.
• Several pro-Taiwan lawmakers joined the protest, arguing Lithuania should not sacrifice a democratic partner to patch things up with an authoritarian power.
• Organizers compared China's pressure campaign to the Soviet domination Lithuania escaped decades ago, framing support for Taiwan as a continuation of their own fight for independence.
• The protesters are skeptical of the government's reasoning, noting Lithuania hasn't softened toward Russia or Belarus the same way it's softening toward China.
• This is good news for Taiwan's diplomatic standing in Europe and a setback for China's efforts to pressure smaller democracies, at least for now.

Outlook: The renaming decision remains unresolved, with youth groups and allied lawmakers vowing to keep pressuring the government not to cave to Chinese demands.