China Sanctions Lithuanian Deputy Minister

The Chinese foreign ministry has imposed sanctions on Lithuanian Deputy Transport and Communications Minister, Agne Vaiciukeviciute for visiting Taiwan.

The sanction is the latest development in Beijing’s diplomatic row with the European Union country.

The foreign ministry said China would also suspend engagement with Vaiciukeviciute’s ministry and cooperation on transportation with Lithuania, a small Baltic republic.

Lithuania’s Ministry of Transport and Communications said it regretted China’s announcement.

“Beijing is choosing to continue and intensify the course of illegal actions against an EU member state,

“This is not only not conducive to the development of China’s relations with the democratic world, but also reverses Beijing’s own declared policy so far of not hindering the development of a mutually beneficial relationship with Taiwan, one of the world’s most progressive economies.” the Lithuanian ministry said.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the sanctions, saying they amounted to “irrational retaliation” by China.

“Taiwan vows to continue to do its best to assist Lithuania to counter the unreasonable and arbitrary suppression of the Chinese government,” the ministry said.

Reports says Lithuania’s recent bolstering of relations with Taiwan has infuriated Beijing and led to a fall in Lithuanian exports to China in the first quarter of this year to almost zero.

Meanwhile, China has downgraded diplomatic relations with Lithuania and pressured multinationals to sever ties with it.

In January, the EU launched a challenge at the World Trade Organization, WTO accusing China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania and arguing that this threatened the integrity of the bloc’s single market.

China said that it has always abided by WTO rules and that its problem with Lithuania is political, not economic, in nature.

REUTERS/CO