Washington pledged to steadfastly backup Vilnius as it withstands Beijing’s intimidation as part of its punitive campaign towards Lithuania. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai promised on Jan. 5 “continuing strong support” to Lithuania in a telephone call with its Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. The ambassador said the government would work with the European Union (EU) and its members to address the “coercive diplomatic and economic behavior” of China, her office said in a press release. The fury of China blasted at the very beginning when the Baltic state allowed self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as a runaway province with no right to diplomatic recognition, to open a de facto embassy in its capital Vilnius. Besides downgraded diplomatic ties in a spat with China, Lithuania has since been in an escalated financial dispute as Beijing pressured countries to halt sourcing materials from Lithuania and imposed a trade embargo over Lithuanian exports and imports. Secretary …