China lashes out at US over support for Lithuania

BEIJING (AP) — China has lashed out at the United States over its support for the European nation of Lithuania in its feud with Beijing over relations with Taiwan. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson says Washington is using the Baltic state to “use Taiwan to contain China.”  That came after the top U.S. and German diplomats said Chinese pressure against Lithuania was unwarranted. Lithuania broke with diplomatic custom last year by letting the Taiwanese office in its capital bear the name Taiwan, instead of Chinese Taipei, which most other countries use to avoid offending Beijing. Wang also blasted Taiwan’s move to create a $200 million investment fund for Lithuania to offset Chinese economic reprisals as “dollar diplomacy.”