Under WTO rules, China may still block non-EU countries from joining the consultations before an arbitration panel is formed.
Taiwan, Canada and Japan have requested to join the EU’s case at the World Trade Organization accusing China of blocking Lithuanian goods due to its relationship with Taipei, according to multiple diplomats and officials.
“The three informed us today they were joining the EU’s WTO case,” said one senior European official with direct knowledge of the case.
Global Affairs Canada later confirmed the request to join, saying in a statement: "Canada opposes economic coercion and stands with like-minded partners in supporting rules-based international trade with the World Trade Organization at its core."
The statement added: "Canada is concerned by China’s recent trade actions taken against Lithuania and European Union goods and services with Lithuanian content, which could undermine the rules-based international trading system and its institutions."
A spokesperson for the European Commission would neither confirm nor deny the news.
The new requests to join the case mean that all members of the so-called Group of Seven advanced economies are showing support for the EU’s case, after the U.S. and the U.K. previously asked to join, as well as Australia. It also comes just after Beijing further escalated the trade dispute by suspending imports of beef, dairy products and alcohol from Lithuania, according to the Commission, without giving reasons for the decision, such as health concerns.
The Commission spokesperson said the EU executive is “currently in touch with the Lithuanian authorities” regarding China’s latest trade move.
Last week Beijing agreed to take part in the WTO consultations requested by the EU, which alleges that China is blocking Lithuanian goods because Taiwan announced plans to set up a Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius. Beijing considers the self-ruling island part of its own territory and therefore unable to have such diplomatic representation.
Under WTO rules, China is allowed to block any of the non-EU countries from joining the consultations before an arbitration panel is formed.
Doug Palmer contributed reporting.
This article was updated to reflect Canada and Japan’s request to join.
https://www.politico.eu/article/taiwan-asks-to-join-eus-wto-case-against-china/
EU launches WTO case against China over Huawei, Xiaomi tech infringements
...The European Union has launched a lawsuit against China, claiming that it is using domestic courts to undermine intellectual property laws and allowing Huawei, Xiaomi and other telecoms giants to secure cut-price technology licences.
A World Trade Organization (WTO) case lodged in Geneva on Friday said Beijing was using new legal mechanisms known as “anti-suit injunctions” to prevent international companies from suing Chinese counterparts in foreign courts for their use of technology without licences or permission.
Firms that have made complaints – including Sharp, Ericsson and Nokia – have been threatened with daily fines of €130,000 (US$148,000) or criminal charges, meaning executives could be jailed in China for non-compliance, according to the EU.
Brussels officials said Chinese firms such as Huawei, Xiaomi, ZTE and Oppo had taken advantage of these injunctions – which were ushered in by a Chinese supreme court ruling in August 2020 and subsequently approved by the National People’s Congress – to cut their licensing fees in half.
The EU sees it as part of an overall Chinese strategy to transfer technology(to coerce !) for 3G, 4G and 5G to China for a reduced fee, but also to set global rules governing intellectual property protection...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3167551/eu-launches-wto-case-against-china-over-huawei-xiaomi-tech
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