Senior US official to visit Lithuania in show of support over Chinese 'coercion'
WASHINGTON: A senior US official will visit Lithuania next
week to discuss enhancing economic cooperation with the small Baltic nation,
which has faced pressure from China for boosting ties with Taiwan.
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the
Environment Jose Fernandez will be in Vilnius from Sunday (Jan 30) to Tuesday,
and in Brussels from Wednesday to Friday, where he will also discuss efforts to
counter economic "coercion" with EU officials, the State Department
said in a statement.
In Vilnius, he will discuss bilateral economic cooperation, and US "strong support for Lithuania in the face of political pressure and economic coercion from the People’s Republic of China," the statement said.
Fernandez will be accompanied by US Export-Import Bank
officials to discuss implementation of a US$600 million memorandum of
understanding to expand opportunities for US exporters and Lithuanian buyers in
areas such as high-tech manufacturing, business services and renewable energy, according
to the statement.
In Brussels, Fernandez will discuss transatlantic trade and
investment through the US-EU Trade and Technology Council, the statement said.
The United States, which is seeking to push back against
growing Chinese influence worldwide, has backed Lithuania in its dispute with
China over Taiwan, a self-ruled island Beijing claims as its own.
China downgraded its diplomatic relationship with Lithuania
and pressed multinationals to sever ties with the country after Taiwan opened a
representative office in Vilnius last year called the Taiwanese Representative
Office in Lithuania, rather than using the word Taipei as is more common.
EU authorities launched a challenge at the World Trade
Organization (WTO) on Thursday, accusing China of discriminatory trade
practices against EU member Lithuania that they say threaten the integrity of
the bloc's single market.
Lithuania's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it hopes its
trade dispute with China will be solved with consultations between China and
the EU.
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