China has threatened trade with some countries after feuds. They're calling 'the firm' for help

Source: Associated Press

China has threatened trade with some countries after feuds. They’re calling ‘the firm’ for help

BY DIDI TANG
Updated 12:06 AM EDT, May 27, 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — Business is good at “the firm.”

The eight-person team at the State Department is leading Washington’s efforts to ease the economic blowback for countries targeted by China.

It emerged in the scramble to help Lithuania during a spat with China over Taiwan two years ago. Today, “the firm” is helping growing numbers of nations cope with what diplomats call economic coercion from Beijing.

Countries “knock on the door, they call,” Undersecretary of State Jose Fernandez told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “We run a consulting firm that does not have to advertise for clients, as they come.”

Led by State Department senior adviser Melanie Hart, the group reviews vulnerabilities and develops responses for countries that are cut off or fear losing trade with global powerhouse China. Since the group’s launch with Lithuania, more than a dozen countries have approached the Biden administration for assistance, Fernandez said.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/china-trade-economic-firm-state-department-42655e067386a20b22f1317ce298f334