Two big German investors in Lithuania, Hella and Continental, have reportedly been pressured by China to withdraw from the country amid Vilnius-Beijing tensions. The companies’ representatives refrain from commenting on the reports, but insist their plans in Lithuania remain unchanged.
After Lithuania opened a Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius last November, China has used undeclared trade sanctions to pressure the Baltic country to reconsider. Reuters reported last December that Chinese authorities were pressuring the German automotive parts manufacturer Continental to drop components made in its Lithuanian plant.
Read more: China pressures Germany’s car parts giant Continental to give up Lithuanian components – media
At the time, Continental did not comment on the reports, only saying it had no plans to abandon its investments in the country.
“We have no news about changes to our plans in Lithuania,” said Ieva Koncevičiūtė, spokeswoman for Continental Automotive Lithuania.
Moreover, she noted, the company never made any statements about plans to withdraw from Lithuania. “No statement in the media came from us. From our side, there was a message two weeks ago that we’re not changing our plans,” Koncevičiūtė said on Thursday.
She added that the company was planning to hire several hundred additional workers.
Hella Lithuania, another German-owned automotive maker, also said its plans in the country remained unchanged.
Read more: German firms pressure Lithuania to deescalate China tensions – media
“I will not comment on reports about a possible withdrawal, whether that information is accurate or not,” Hella Lithuania head of production Mantas Skinderis said during a media conference on Thursday.” We are all probably aware that there are some risks. But our professional team is managing those risks and minimizing them as much as possible.”
Read more: Continental to continue investing in Lithuania despite China’s pressure – media
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