The Prague Post - EU launches WTO case against China over Lithuania row

EUR -
AED 4.133496
AFN 79.901014
ALL 98.300698
AMD 437.813036
ANG 2.028226
AOA 1031.956036
ARS 1268.145798
AUD 1.754269
AWG 2.025649
AZN 1.917581
BAM 1.956366
BBD 2.271357
BDT 136.679539
BGN 1.955871
BHD 0.424209
BIF 3300.119807
BMD 1.125361
BND 1.460409
BOB 7.77318
BRL 6.363806
BSD 1.124925
BTN 96.00592
BWP 15.252938
BYN 3.681332
BYR 22057.066742
BZD 2.259634
CAD 1.569147
CDF 3232.035901
CHF 0.935883
CLF 0.02739
CLP 1051.087158
CNY 8.144577
CNH 8.147858
COP 4768.715323
CRC 570.960096
CUC 1.125361
CUP 29.822055
CVE 110.567117
CZK 24.960277
DJF 199.999519
DKK 7.463508
DOP 66.22791
DZD 149.786944
EGP 56.943474
ERN 16.880408
ETB 149.564776
FJD 2.554235
FKP 0.84717
GBP 0.845881
GEL 3.08916
GGP 0.84717
GHS 14.79893
GIP 0.84717
GMD 80.467613
GNF 9740.562555
GTQ 8.652503
GYD 236.030939
HKD 8.754011
HNL 29.079754
HRK 7.537895
HTG 146.911194
HUF 404.297467
IDR 18625.223483
ILS 3.986174
IMP 0.84717
INR 96.129593
IQD 1474.222318
IRR 47377.679471
ISK 146.983775
JEP 0.84717
JMD 178.811727
JOD 0.798223
JPY 163.66573
KES 145.738469
KGS 98.413212
KHR 4518.322995
KMF 491.224149
KPW 1013.018013
KRW 1571.172561
KWD 0.34516
KYD 0.937442
KZT 580.552785
LAK 24319.041837
LBP 100832.305501
LKR 336.104243
LRD 224.513674
LSL 20.538259
LTL 3.322898
LVL 0.68072
LYD 6.116379
MAD 10.406811
MDL 19.279978
MGA 5024.735237
MKD 61.513824
MMK 2362.970342
MNT 4023.494213
MOP 9.012527
MRU 44.508436
MUR 51.440657
MVR 17.33476
MWK 1954.75166
MXN 21.888432
MYR 4.835718
MZN 71.922217
NAD 20.538254
NGN 1808.578614
NIO 41.04757
NOK 11.670496
NPR 153.609072
NZD 1.904164
OMR 0.433244
PAB 1.124915
PEN 4.097481
PGK 4.572383
PHP 62.307881
PKR 316.455551
PLN 4.233663
PYG 8993.601699
QAR 4.097157
RON 5.12017
RSD 117.243917
RUB 92.791924
RWF 1602.51342
SAR 4.221033
SBD 9.389874
SCR 16.48093
SDG 675.783146
SEK 10.925567
SGD 1.460947
SHP 0.884357
SLE 25.60237
SLL 23598.229739
SOS 643.147674
SRD 41.30355
STD 23292.691251
SVC 9.842847
SYP 14634.83076
SZL 20.538246
THB 37.092299
TJS 11.642765
TMT 3.950016
TND 3.394369
TOP 2.635711
TRY 43.602999
TTD 7.642143
TWD 34.057954
TZS 3035.664164
UAH 46.730357
UGX 4117.191035
USD 1.125361
UYU 47.023603
UZS 14500.271038
VES 104.337792
VND 29235.178998
VUV 135.852737
WST 3.117916
XAF 656.14098
XAG 0.034395
XAU 0.000338
XCD 3.041344
XDR 0.80874
XOF 647.649041
XPF 119.331742
YER 275.094795
ZAR 20.47863
ZMK 10129.599402
ZMW 29.613303
ZWL 362.365637
  • RBGPF

    2.8600

    65.86

    +4.34%

  • CMSD

    0.0100

    22.34

    +0.04%

  • CMSC

    -0.0500

    22.06

    -0.23%

  • SCS

    -0.0200

    10.46

    -0.19%

  • NGG

    0.5100

    70.69

    +0.72%

  • RYCEF

    -0.1000

    10.5

    -0.95%

  • RIO

    0.8000

    59.98

    +1.33%

  • GSK

    -0.2500

    36.62

    -0.68%

  • JRI

    0.0300

    12.98

    +0.23%

  • BCE

    0.4800

    22.71

    +2.11%

  • RELX

    0.3486

    53.85

    +0.65%

  • VOD

    0.0500

    9.3

    +0.54%

  • BTI

    -1.6600

    41.64

    -3.99%

  • AZN

    0.2700

    67.57

    +0.4%

  • BP

    1.1800

    29.77

    +3.96%

EU launches WTO case against China over Lithuania row
EU launches WTO case against China over Lithuania row

EU launches WTO case against China over Lithuania row

The European Union on Thursday launched a case against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for targeting Lithuania over its stance on Taiwan.

Text size:

The move by Brussels is a further deterioration in ties between China and the bloc, with a long negotiated investment deal already on the rocks after both sides exchanged tit-for-tat sanctions.

The latest spat is over Lithuania, one of the smallest countries in the European Union, which made waves in July when it allowed Taiwan to open a diplomatic outpost in Vilnius.

The move outraged Beijing, which does not recognise Taiwan as a state and considers the self-ruled democratic island a rebellious territory of the mainland.

"Launching a WTO case is not a step we take lightly," said EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis in a statement.

"However, after repeated failed attempts to resolve the issue bilaterally, we see no other way forward than to request WTO dispute settlement consultations with China," he added.

By going to the WTO, the EU lent support to accusations by Lithuanian business leaders and officials that the row has resulted in China blocking imports from Lithuania and other economic restrictions.

WTO arbitration is a slow-moving process, however, and any result could take years to come.

- EU finds evidence -

The EU said that it had built up a trove of evidence of Chinese restrictions.

These included "a refusal to clear Lithuanian goods through customs, rejection of import applications from Lithuania, and pressuring EU companies operating out of other EU member states to remove Lithuanian inputs from their supply chains".

Despite the evidence, Dombrovskis said that the bloc would continue to pursue diplomatic solutions to the feud, and has raised the problem with his Chinese counterparts in recent weeks.

The European Commission handles trade policy for the EU's 27 member states and takes the lead on conflicts at the WTO in Geneva.

In November, China downgraded diplomatic ties with Lithuania and stopped issuing visas there in protest at Vilnius's decision to allow Taiwan to open the representative office under its own name.

The United States has signalled its support for the European Union and Lithuania in the fight.

Reports said that Lithuania, at the prodding of Washington, was considering renaming its mission to Taiwan to something less provocative for Beijing.

Under the stewardship of former German chancellor Angela Merkel, the EU has long -pursued friendlier ties with China, but this has also proven harder to defend as Chinese President Xi Jinping's leadership turns more centralised and hard line.

The relationship with Beijing grew even more complicated a year ago when an EU-China investment deal wanted by Germany was put on indefinite standby after both sides exchanged tit-for-tat sanctions over the treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority in China.

Spurred on by the latest controversy, the EU is discussing draft regulation that would equip Brussels with new powers to swiftly retaliate against efforts by foreign governments to undermine the European economy and businesses.

B.Svoboda--TPP