According to reports, due to increased tensions, China has banned Lithuanian products from entering the Chinese market. Lithuanian Media Thursday (December 2nd). The European Commission said it is collecting information and will re-discuss the matter later.
According to the Baltic Times, Lithuanian companies cannot clear their goods in China because China removed Lithuania from its customs system in December last year.
On November 21, after Taiwan opened its de facto embassy in Lithuania, China downgraded its diplomatic relations with Lithuania, expressing its strong dissatisfaction with the Baltic countries.
As part of its “One China Policy,” Beijing regards autonomous and democratically governed Taiwan as its territory and has no right to establish a nation. It forces countries to reduce or cut off formal or informal relations with the island.
A Lithuanian businessman who exported timber to China complained about the problems he encountered. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Lithuanian products may be disrupted when entering China.
The ministry stated that it wants the EU to speak out.
“The Ministry has learned that the entry of Lithuanian products into China may be disrupted. We are in contact with Lithuanian companies and we are collecting all possible information from China on the restrictions that are being implemented. We are also in contact with the European Commission regarding EU-level responses,” the Department said.
Vidmantas Janulevicius, Chairman of the Federation of Lithuanian Industrialists, confirmed the news on the 15min.lt website.
“Lithuania has been removed from the custom system. There does not seem to be such a country in China’s customs system. This creates additional problems for exporters,” he told the news website.
When asked for comment on Friday, the EU executive said that it was told that Lithuanian goods had not cleared Chinese customs and the import application was rejected.
The European Commission stated that it is in contact with Vilnius and the EU delegation in Beijing to gather more information and clarify the situation, adding that it will respond later.
An example of the glacial climate between Vilnius and Beijing is the recent tweeting of a Chinese official who accused Lithuania of “a historical massacre of Jews.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said: “Today, racism is still a serious problem in the country, and Jews and other minorities suffer severe discrimination.”
exist #Lithuania, There has been a Holocaust against Jews in history. Today, racism remains a serious problem in the country, with Jews and other minorities suffering severe discrimination. pic.twitter.com/KmDaXUuKk6
— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) November 30, 2021
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic/ Alice Taylor]
