TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Australia and Lithuania have agreed to strengthen cooperation in countering pressure from China, following Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne’s meeting with her Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis in the Parliament House in Canberra.

During the meeting on Wednesday (Feb. 9), Landsbergis called on like-minded countries to work together in confronting Chinese economic coercion and said that Beijing will continue using these tactics on more countries if there is no opposition, per Liberty Times.

“For quite a while, Australia was one of the main examples when China was using economy and trade as a political instrument or one might say, even as a political weapon, Landsbergis said, adding that Lithuania is now part of this “exclusive club.”

However, he said Lithuania will not be the last country to fall victim to Chinese pressure, “especially if these practices are not stopped with the instruments that we have.”

Paine said she agreed with Landsbergis that it is vital for like-minded countries to continuously join forces to maintain a norm-based international order, free and open trade, transparency, and security and stability, according to Liberty Times.

"The more that we are able to share our views and to articulate our views, the more we are sending the strongest possible message about our rejection of coercion and our rejection of authoritarianism," Australian Broadcast Corporation quoted her as saying.

Additionally, Paine said Australia has no intention of renaming Taiwan’s representative offices in the country and reaffirmed Canberra’s adherence to its "one China" policy, CNA reported. Taiwan has a main Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia located in Canberra and has three other branches located in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.