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

FILE – Lithuanian and European Union flags fly outside the Lithuanian Embassy in Beijing, Dec. 16, 2021. The U.S. State Department has set up an eight-person team known as the “firm” to provide help to countries cut off from Chinese trade. The team emerged after Washington stepped in to help Lithuania when the northern European country found its cargo shipments to and from China stranded two years ago during a feud over Taiwan. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) WASHINGTON - Business is good at "the firm." The eight-person team at the State Department is leading Washington’s efforts to ease the economic blowback…