Chinese Customs Curbs On Lithuania Due To Violation Of Political Obligations - Beijing

China is preventing Lithuanian companies from custom clearance as a way to defend its interests and sovereignty in response to Vilnius violating its political commitments after it established diplomatic ties with Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Thursday

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2021) China is preventing Lithuanian companies from custom clearance as a way to defend its interests and sovereignty in response to Vilnius violating its political commitments after it established diplomatic ties with Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Thursday.

On December 2, Vidmantas Janulevicius, the president of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, said that Lithuanian companies have recently faced issues with customs clearance in Chinese ports after China allegedly deleted Lithuania from its customs systems following a diplomatic fall-out.

"I want to emphasize that China always acts in accordance with the WTO (World Trade Organization) rules. Lithuania has grossly violated its political obligations, which it took upon itself in establishing diplomatic relations with the PRC... We are strongly committed to protect our sovereignty, territorial integrity and interests," Wenbin said during a regular press briefing in Beijing.

On Wednesday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis said that the European Union is aware of issues with the clearance of Lithuanian goods by Chinese customs and is working on clarifying them. The two also expressed the bloc's solidarity with Lithuania and affirmed Brussels' commitment to opposing political pressure and coercive measures applied to EU members. The statement came shortly after an announcement of a new legal tool to respond to deliberate economic pressure put on the bloc and its member states by third countries.

China-Lithuania relations soured earlier this year after the Lithuanian government allowed Taiwan to open a representative office in Vilnius. The Chinese government criticized the move and downgraded diplomatic relations with Lithuania to the level of charges d'affaires.