The European Union launched legal action against China at the World Trade Organization on Thursday, accusing Beijing of “discriminatory trade practices” against Lithuania. The Baltic country has faced a months-long campaign of intimidation from Beijing for strengthening its ties with Taiwan.
Why it matters: The decision to refer China to the WTO is an important symbolic intervention by the EU, which had been divided in its response to the coercion of a tiny member state by one of the bloc’s largest trading partners.
What’s happening: Lithuania’s decision last year to open a de facto embassy in Vilnius under the name “Taiwan,” rather than “Chinese Taipei,” drew outrage from Beijing, which considered it a violation of the “One China” policy.
What they’re saying: “Launching a WTO case is not a step we take lightly. 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,” EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said in a statement.
The big picture: Most major EU leaders had hoped to steer clear of the confrontation between Washington and Beijing, but that approach seems to be shifting as episodes like this one pile up.
What to watch: Slovenia may be the next small EU member state to face Beijing’s ire.
Go deeper: The rise of China’s secondary sanctions
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