EU files a complaint with WTO against China over Lithuania issue

Vilnius/Brussels/Beijing: – The European Union has adopted an aggressive stand against the pressure being exerted by China on Lithuania. The Union has filed a complaint in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). A strong reaction has been received from China over the complaint and it has accused the complaint of being devoid of facts and absurd. Analysts warned that the tensions between the European Union and China could fester further, given the stand adopted by the Union against China.

Moreover, Valdis Dombrovskis, the trade commissioner of the European Union, informed about the complaint saying that the Chinese regime is discriminating against Lithuania on the trade issue. Thus, it has affected the other trade that forms a part of the European Union market. The efforts to resolve the dispute on a bilateral level have failed. Therefore, the European Union is forced to approach the WTO. The trade commissioner also pointed out that the European Union is seriously looking into the issue.

Since the last few months, Taiwan has been receiving increasing cooperation from the United States, the European countries and even other leading countries in the international community. It has made the Chinese regime restless and has expressed resentment in various ways. Last year, in November, the Taiwanese diplomatic office was opened in Lithuania, a small European country with a population of hardly 2.8 million. It has not gone down well with China and it has become active to corner Lithuania in every possible way.

China decided to downgrade diplomatic relations with Lithuania. The Chinese Ambassador to Lithuania was recalled and the responsibility of the embassy was handed over to a junior diplomatic official. Going further, China started cornering Lithuania on the trade front. Lithuania was exposed to being removed from the list of countries having permission to export to China. Therefore, all the goods despatched from Lithuania for China were stranded at sea. After that, the multinational companies and countries in Europe were targeted to increase pressure on Lithuania.

Along with the United States, even the European Union has taken this matter very seriously. The United States has openly declared support for Lithuania. Whereas Taiwan has announced an independent fund for Lithuania. The Union also has indicated to stand firm behind Lithuania and the matter filed in the WTO is considered the first step. Analysts have warned that this step of the European Union against China could fester the tensions further between the two sides.

The European Union has adopted a stand against the Chinese communist regime over issues like bilateral investment agreement, Hongkong, atrocities against Uyghurs and the Chinese activities in the South China Sea. The European Union has indicated that everything is not well in the bilateral relations with China, with this firm stand on the Lithuania and Taiwan issues.