The Ministry of Commerce commented in a statement that Beijing regrets the decision of the EU to proceed with these disputes and gave assurances about China’s respect for international laws in the sector.

It added that China conducts its business by adhering to the rules, increasingly strengthens the protection of intellectual property rights and strives to provide a good environment for businesses and innovation.

The ministry’s statements follow the EU’s request to the WTO on Wednesday to set up panels that will handle two trade disputes with China.

One of the lawsuits is related to the restrictions imposed by China in December 2021 on exports of Lithuanian products and EU production that use components from Lithuania.

The second lawsuit is related to patents in the high-tech sector.

China and Lithuania have been experiencing strong tensions since July of this year over the establishment of an office by Taiwan in Vilnius, and aggravated when Beijing downgraded its diplomatic ties with Lithuania to the level of chargé d’affaires.

Lithuania withdrew its diplomatic staff from China in December, citing security concerns and also that Chinese nationals are prohibited from working at the embassy. It also accused China of economic coercion, and it was then that the European Union filed a lawsuit with the WTO, which China called a “made-up complaint.”

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