By Cristina Roca
The European Union has opened dispute-settlement proceedings against China at the World Trade Organization over the country's trade practices with Lithuania, calling them discriminatory.
"These actions, which appear to be discriminatory and illegal under WTO rules, are harming exporters both in Lithuania and elsewhere in the EU, as they also target products with Lithuanian content exported from other EU countries," the European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, said Thursday.
It said attempts to solve the issue bilaterally have failed.
Beijing blocked Lithuanian companies' access to its market in December, in retaliation for the country's outreach to Taiwan. Lithuania is a member of the EU.
"On China's part, the door to communication with Lithuania remains open. If the Lithuanian side truly hopes to mend fences, it should show its sincerity with concrete actions," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said last week.
The ministry didn't immediately respond after being contacted for comment.
Write to Cristina Roca at cristina.roca@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
01-27-22 0239ET
