China has suspended imports of beef from Lithuania since Wednesday, the General Administration of Customs said, amid a growing trade spat with the Baltic nation and its Western allies centred on Chinese-claimed Taiwan.
The agency typically halt imports of meat if exporting nations report outbreaks of disease in livestock. Lithuania has not reported any animal disease to the World Organisation for Animal Health recently.The move comes, however, after Britain said on Monday it will join the United States and Australia in backing an EU trade case against China at the World Trade Organization over Beijing's alleged trade curbs on Lithuania.
Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in its capital Vilnius last year, angering Beijing which regards the self-governed island as its own territory.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, declined to elaborate on the beef suspension, but said Lithuania should correct its mistakes.
"What Lithuania should do is face up to facts, redress its own mistakes, and come back to the right track of adhering to the one China principle, instead of confusing right with wrong," Zhao said, referring to China's policy demanding countries recognise Taiwan belongs to it. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry condemned the latest Chinese move, which it called "unilateral" and "bullying" and the latest example of Beijing trying to change Lithuania's foreign policy.China is the world's top importer of beef but shipments from Lithuania are minimal. China imported just 775 tonnes of beef from Lithuania in 2021, out of a total 2.36 million tonnes of beef imports that year, according to Chinese customs data.
Taiwan has stepped up its food imports from Lithuania to help ease the impact of Chinese curbs, most recently rum.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Dominique Patton; Additional reporting by Emily Chow, and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Kim CoghillSubscribe to our daily curated newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters coverage delivered to your inbox.
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