Lithuania as US agent poses threat to EU unity

Gambling on crumbs from the US’ table Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

 
Two days after Lithuania asked the EU to intervene on its behalf to deal with the alleged Chinese political and economic pressure amid the diplomatic row caused by the Baltic country’s  relations with the island of Taiwan, the European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch, on Wednesday put forward what it called an “anti-coercion instrument” related to what it views as unfair trade pressure. The next day, the EU confirmed it was investigating Lithuania’s accusations against China, saying “if the information received were to be confirmed, the EU would also assess the compatibility of China’s action with its obligations under the World Trade Organization.” 

All these EU moves were quickly interpreted as “EU’s support” for Lithuania in the country’s spat with China by some anti-China European politicians. Reinhard Buetikofer, an anti-China vanguard in the European Parliament, tweeted Wednesday the EU’s “anti-coercion” instrument is welcomed as the “Lithuania case demonstrates the need for such an instrument.” 

After Lithuania provoked China over the Taiwan question, causing relations to be downgraded to the level of charge d’affaires, it tried hard to create an impression that it has the EU’s backing. In a letter to EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stressed the importance of “EU unity and solidarity.” 

As a bloc, the EU emphasizes a unified foreign policy and has the need to demonstrate unity and solidarity. However, different member states have different demands and interests when it comes to how to develop ties with China, the EU cannot sacrifice the overall interests of the bloc to pay for the anti-China misdeeds of a tiny country as Lithuania. 

How far can EU’s support go? 

Gao Jian, director of the Center for British Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times that the support the EU has offered to Lithuania so far is symbolic. “The EU may provide support for Lithuania in so-called moral and verbal terms, but it is unlikely to offer any substantial support,” Gao said.   

Although the EU’s anti-economic coercion instrument was proposed at a time when Lithuania was having a spat with China, the instrument is not specifically designed to target China. According to Politico, the European Commission’s proposal for an “anti-coercion” weapon comes after years of the EU complaining that it is vulnerable to what it called economic blackmail from countries that exploit divisions between European nations. Euronews attributed the introduction of the instrument to “controversial cases that have put the EU, a long-time advocate of open markets and free trade, in an increasingly uncomfortable position,” including former US president Donald Trump slapping tariffs on European steel and aluminum. 

In the joint statement on Wednesday by EU’s trade chief Valdis Drombovskis and its top diplomat Josep Borrell, EU also emphasized that it remains committed to its one-China policy and recognizes the government of the People’s Republic of…