Brussels formally launched its WTO dispute in early 2022 after Beijing imposed trade restrictions against Lithuania in late 2021 because Vilnius deepened its ties with Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway province.

The case dealt a blow to the relations between Beijing and Brussels, with the EU accusing China of discrimination and coercion against its eastern member Lithuania.

The high-profile case also motivated Brussels to boost its own trade arsenal, with tools such as the anti-coercion instrument, which effectively allows the European Commission to investigate whether economic coercion has taken place against an EU…