‘The firm’ leads US efforts to ease blowback for countries targeted by China

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…