China suspends import of beef from Lithuania amid diplomatic row

China has suspended imports of beef from Lithuania, a document released by the Chinese General Administration of Customs said on Thursday.

The relations between China and Lithuania deteriorated after Taiwan opened its official representative office in Vilnius last November. Beijing lodged a protest to Lithuania and later downgraded the bilateral relations to the level of charges d'affaires.

"Starting February 9, 2022 (inclusive), the acceptance of import declarations for beef from Lithuania is suspended," the document read, as cited by Sputnik news agency.

China appears to be the largest beef importer in the world. According to Chinese media, the suspension of beef imports from Lithuania will not affect the domestic market since the volume of supplies is insignificant. Only one Lithuanian company has permission to supply beef to China.

The European Union the last month had launched a case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against China over its discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania, which it says are also hitting other exports from the EU's Single Market.

The 27 member bloc in a statement had said that these actions are harming exporters both in Lithuania and elsewhere in the EU, as they also target products with Lithuanian content exported from other EU countries.As attempts to resolve this bilaterally have failed, the EU has resorted to initiating dispute settlement proceedings against China, the statement added.

The European Commission said it has built up evidence of the various types of Chinese restrictions.

"These include a refusal to clear Lithuanian goods through customs, rejection of import applications from Lithuania, and pressuring EU companies operating out of other EU Member States to remove Lithuanian inputs from their supply chains when exporting to China," the commission said.

Responding to the WTO case, Beijing had said that claims of China's "coercion" of Lithuania is groundless and distorts facts.

"The problem between China and Lithuania is a political not an economic one. They were caused by Lithuania's acts in bad faith that hurt China's interests, not China's pressure on Lithuania," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian at a press conference.

( With inputs from ANI )