The European Union is set to buy time in its case against China at the World Trade Organization over allegations of economic coercion targeting Lithuania, according to people familiar with the matter.

The European Union will resume its World Trade Organization case against China over the alleged economic coercion of Lithuania. The bloc's executive arm, the European Commission, said on Friday it had requested a resumption at the Geneva trade courts,

The European Commission filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization on Monday against what it said was China's "unfair and illegal" practice of setting worldwide royalty rates for EU standard essential patents without the patent owner's consent.

The European Union needs to do more to keep up with the US and China, according to Economics Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

The European Union has until Friday to tell the World Trade Organization whether it intends to resume its legal action against Beijing over the alleged coercion of EU member state Lithuania in 2021 after a blazing row over Taiwan.