China suspends Lithuanian beef imports as Taiwan row simmers

China has suspended imports of beef from Lithuania since Wednesday, the General Administration of Customs said, amid a growing trade spat with the Baltic nation and its Western allies centered on Taiwan.

Customs did not give a reason for the suspension.

The agency typically halts imports of meat if exporting nations report outbreaks of disease in livestock. Lithuania has not reported any animal disease recently.

The move comes, however, after Britain said on Monday it will join the United States and Australia in backing an EU trade case against China over Beijing's alleged trade curbs on Lithuania.

Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in its capital Vilnius last year, angering Beijing which regards the self-governed island as its territory.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian declined to elaborate on the beef suspension, but said: "What Lithuania should do is face up to facts, redress its own mistakes ... instead of confusing right with wrong."

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry condemned the latest Chinese move as "bullying."

China is the world's top importer of beef but shipments from Lithuania are minimal. It imported just 775 tonnes of beef from Lithuania out of a total 2.36 million tonnes in 2021, according to Chinese customs data.

Taiwan has stepped up food imports from Lithuania to help ease the impact of Chinese curbs.