The United States and Germany expressed concern over China's attempt to bully Lithuania, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, adding that Beijing is pushing European and American companies to stop doing business with Vilnius as the country chose to expand their cooperation with Taiwan.
"We have immediate concern about the Government of China's attempts to bully Lithuania, a country of fewer than three million people. China is pushing European and American companies to stop building products with components made in Lithuania or risk losing access to the Chinese market, all because Lithuania chose to expand their cooperation with Taiwan," Blinken said in a joint statement on Wednesday (local time).
US Secretary of State also said that both the countries have agreed on the importance of transatlantic coordination on China because it poses a significant challenge to our shared values.
"Germany and the United States agree on the importance of transatlantic coordination on China because it poses a significant challenge to our shared values; to the laws, rules, and agreements that foster stability, prosperity, and freedom worldwide," Blinken said.
"We also agreed that together, we will continue to build, across the board, an affirmative vision for the future because fundamentally, this is about what we're for together, not what we're against," he added.
Furthermore, Blinken said that this is not just about Lithuania, but about how every country in the world should be able to determine its own foreign policy free from this kind of coercion.
"The United States will work with our allies and partners, including Germany, to stand up against intimidation like this from China by strengthening our economic resilience, diversifying our supply chains, and countering all forms of economic blackmail," the US Secretary of State said.
He also stated that the US and its allies "will continue to stand together against flagrant human rights abuses by the Government of China and advocating for universal human rights around the world."
Lithuania is facing increased pressure from China following its decision to open reciprocal representative offices with Taiwan. The new office will take over, with immediate effect, the responsibility of promoting relations between Taiwan and the Baltic state, as well as serving and protecting Taiwanese citizens in the country, said Focus Taiwan citing the release.
( With inputs from ANI )
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