There can a diplomatic solution with China over Lithuania – Dombrovskis

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union and China can find a diplomatic solution over their spat on Lithuania, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said on Thursday, speaking shortly after EU authorities challenged China’s practices regarding Lithuania at the World Trade Organization (WTO)

“Certainly, there can be a diplomatic solution. From the EU side (…) we are trying to solve the dispute amicably, there are two parallel tracks”, Dombrovskis said during a press conference.

China has downgraded diplomatic ties with Lithuania and pressured multinationals to sever links with the Baltic state after it allowed Taiwan to open a de-facto embassy in Vilnius.

The European Commission, which oversees European Union trade policy, said in a statement that China’s actions were harming exporters in Lithuania and elsewhere in the bloc.

(Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten)