China Vetoes EU Efforts To Create WTO Panels On Trade Disputes With Beijing - Reports

China has blocked the request of the European Union to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to create panels on trade disputes with Beijing, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th December, 2022) China has blocked the request of the European Union to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to create panels on trade disputes with Beijing, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday.

According to the newspaper, China vetoed EU efforts to launch two dispute hearings on Chinese trade restrictions with Lithuania, as well as on EU high-tech patents, calling the bloc's request "puzzling" and "premature."

At the same time, the EU is expected to submit yet another request to the WTO on the same issues, with Beijing not being able to block the move next time since WTO member states could veto such proceedings only once, the Chinese newspaper noted.

Earlier in the month, the EU requested two panels at the WTO on the disputes, accusing the Chinese side of breaching WTO global trade rules.

In response, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said that China would continue to protect its trade interests, while always abiding by WTO norms.

Since December 2021, China has applied restrictive measures to exports from Lithuania and exports of EU products with Lithuanian content, following a deterioration in bilateral relations since Taiwan opened an official office in Vilnius last November. China also imposed a total ban on imports of alcohol, beef, dairy products, logs and peat from Lithuania, using phytosanitary arguments to do so.

Since August 2020, Chinese courts have been issuing anti-suit injunctions that prevent EU companies with high-tech patents from defending their technologies in non-Chinese courts, including EU courts. Chinese manufacturers are using injunctions to pressure patent holders to give them cheaper access to European technologies, according to the European Commission.