Taiwan joins WTO case against China over Lithuania

TAIPEI • Taiwan has joined the United States and Australia in backing a European Union trade case against China at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over Beijing's alleged trade curbs on Lithuania, its foreign ministry said yesterday.

The EU launched a challenge at the Geneva-based trade body last month, accusing China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania that it says threaten the integrity of the EU's single market.

Vilnius is under pressure from Beijing to reverse a decision last year that allows Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in the capital under its own name - the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania. Taiwan typically uses "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office" or "Taipei Representative Office" in other economies.

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunited, by force if necessary. China has downgraded diplomatic ties with Lithuania and also pressured multinational companies to sever ties with the Baltic nation.

Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman Joanne Ou said Taipei had last Wednesday joined the consultations for the case as a third party under the WTO's dispute resolution mechanism.

"China's economic coercion has violated international economic and trade norms and should not be tolerated," she told reporters.

Britain has also said it will join the case.

The challenge at the WTO allows 60 days for the parties to confer in order to reach a settlement. If none is reached, the EU may choose to launch a formal dispute that would set up a WTO panel to study its claims against China.

REUTERS

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 16, 2022, with the headline Taiwan joins WTO case against China over Lithuania. Subscribe