US stands with Lithuania against ‘coercive’ China, State Department says
- Wendy Sherman reaffirms Washington’s support for Vilnius over its decision to develop relations with Taiwan
- Beijing is making an example of the Baltic state to deter others on the issue, analyst says
The United States will stand with Lithuania against China’s “coercive behaviour” after Beijing’s decision to recall its envoy to the Baltic state, according to US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman.
In a phone call with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Friday, Sherman “reiterated the United States is resolute in our solidarity with our Nato ally and European Union partner Lithuania, including standing with them in the face of the People’s Republic of China’s recent coercive behaviour in response to Lithuania’s decision to develop mutually beneficial ties with Taiwan”, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province and sees the office in Vilnius as a violation of the one-China policy, one of Beijing’s diplomatic red lines.
The US Department of State has also said that each country should be able to determine its own one-China policy without outside coercion.
China responded by stressing that the one-China policy demanded countries cut all official ties with the island and that China opposed the US’ “gross interference” in China’s “legitimate” actions.
