The Biden administration is pledging its support to Lithuania as the small Baltic nation stands up to pressure on several fronts by the Chinese regime. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai promised “continuing strong support” to Lithuania during a Jan. 5 telephone call with its foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis. She said in a statement that the U.S. government would…

Washington stressed “ironclad U.S. solidarity” with Lithuania to push back against Beijing’s backlash—diplomatically and economically—amid a souring bilateral relation. The Baltic nation’s regional and economic stability is facing challenges from the Chinese regime for allowing self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its runaway province, to open a de facto embassy in its capital Vilnius. The…

TAIPEI—Taiwan and the United States discussed chip shortages and how to respond to China’s economic “coercion” during the second session of an economic dialogue launched last year, Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said on Tuesday. The talks came a week after a virtual meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. After…

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has praised the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as Quad, for its strength and purpose after he attended the dialogue’s first-ever leader level meeting. The meeting, which was held virtually on March 12, resulted in the four countries pledging to establish three working groups (pdf) on climate change, COVID-19 response…

TOKYO—U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China on Tuesday against using “coercion and aggression” as he sought to use his first trip abroad to shore up Asian alliances in the face of growing assertiveness by Beijing. China’s extensive territorial claims in the East and South China Seas have become a priority issue in an…

Commentary Joe Biden insists that mask-wearing saves lives. “I will be asking the American people to wear a mask for the first 100 days of my administration,” he said shortly before the New Year. “Not as a political statement, but as a patriotic duty.” Biden made mask-wearing a pillar of his presidential campaign; he knows…