US Expresses ‘Ironclad Solidarity' With Lithuania Over Chinese Economic Coercion

U.S. and Lithuanian flags on the table during a meeting between Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on Dec. 13, 2021. Alex Wong/Getty Images

The United States has expressed “ironclad U.S. solidarity” with Lithuania in its pushback against Beijing—diplomatically and economically—amid souring bilateral relations.

During a phone call with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Dec. 21, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted troubling public reports that Chinese customs authorities have refused to import or clear goods from the Baltic nation, according to the State Department.