Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a quality league with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock astatine the State Department, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, successful Washington. (Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP)

WASHINGTON – The United States and Germany connected Wednesday backed Lithuania successful its spat with China, saying the unit exerted by Beijing against the tiny Baltic federation was unwarranted,

Lithuania broke with diplomatic customized past twelvemonth by letting the Taiwanese bureau successful Vilnius carnivore the sanction Taiwan, alternatively of Chinese Taipei, which astir different countries usage to debar offending Beijing.

China considers Taiwan portion of its territory with nary close to diplomatic recognition, and Lithuania's determination infuriated Beijing, which withdrew its ambassador to Vilnius and expelled the Lithuanian ambassador to Beijing.

“We person contiguous interest astir the authorities of China’s attempts to bully Lithuania, a state of less than 3 cardinal people," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said aft a gathering successful Washington with his German counterpart.

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Blinken said China had been pushing European and American companies to halt gathering products with components made successful Lithuania oregon hazard losing entree to the Chinese market.

“This isn’t conscionable astir Lithuania, but astir however each state successful the satellite should beryllium capable to find its ain overseas argumentation escaped from this benignant of coercion," helium said, adding that the U.S. would enactment with its allies to diversify proviso chains and antagonistic "all forms of economical blackmail.”

Germany's overseas minister, Annalena Baerbock, said that "we arsenic Europeans basal successful solidarity astatine Lithuania’s side.”

The EU's apical commercialized authoritative said past period that the bloc would basal up to coercive measures imposed connected its subordinate authorities Lithuania, citing reports of Chinese customs blocking imports from the country. Valdis Dombrovskis, a European Commission vice president from Latvia, said if indispensable the EU would instrumentality up the contented astatine the World Trade Organization.

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