Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: VCG

China urges Lithuania to immediately correct its wrongdoings, and not become a "chess piece" for the anti-China forces in the world, while also sending a stern warning to the US that playing the "Taiwan card" would only backfire on itself, China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The comment came after US Trade Representative Katherine Tai expressed her support for Lithuania in tackling so-called China's "economic coercion" during a call with EU Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis on Monday. 

In response, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin criticized the US for instigating Lithuanian government to jeopardize the one-China principle which had been guaranteed by Lithuania when formalizing its diplomatic ties with China. 

Even though some far-sighted people in Lithuania criticized the mistakes made by their government, the US still sparks conflict and attempts to achieve its malicious political goal of containing China, Wang said.

Wang said that US government openly called its dislodging Armed Forces of Haiti in 1994 an "example of coercion diplomacy," and referenced the purpose of $30.3 billion of military spending in 2003 as "conducting coercion diplomacy."

In addition, "coercion diplomacy" implemented by the US can be reflected in its crackdowns on opponents including French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom and Japanese Toshiba, as well as forcing semiconductor manufacturers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and Samsung to submit sensitive suppliers' data to Washington.

Global Times