China considered this Thursday “the correct decision” adopted by the European Union (EU) in ending the dispute it had with the Asian country before the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the restrictions applied since 2021 to trade with Lithuania, a dispute that dates back to the opening in Vilnius of a representative office of Taiwan.
In a response to the press, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said that it “took note” of the announcement made by the EU and maintained that the European complaint “lacked foundation” from its origin.
“Therefore, the decision by the European side to terminate the procedure is the appropriate choice,” it stated in a statement.
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He underlined that, for China, the case should never have been initiated and that the country “has strictly complied with WTO rules” throughout the entire process.
Beijing will “continue to defend with concrete actions” a multilateral trading system “based on rules”, referring to the functioning of the Geneva-based body, it added.
The closing of the case, identified as DS610, was notified this week by the EU.
In its communication, Brussels indicated that “the key objectives of the dispute have been met” and that trade “has resumed”, so it does not consider it necessary to keep the claim active, suspended since January 2024.
The complaint was filed after the EU detected Chinese restrictions affecting exports to and from Lithuania, as well as European products with components manufactured in that Baltic country.
The measures coincided with the opening in 2021 of a Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius, an action against which Beijing protested, claiming sovereignty over the island.
China demands that countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations avoid any official contact with Taiwan, which it considers an inseparable part of its territory.
The Lithuanian decision caused an abrupt fall in exchanges between China and Lithuania.
