(Central News Agency reporter Qiu Guoqiang, Beijing, 10th) There are rumors that the Estonian government is ready to accept the opening of an economic or cultural representative office in Taiwan, which has aroused strong dissatisfaction in China. Local media quoted Estonian pro-China sources as saying that China’s ambassador to Estonia, Guo Xiaomei, had notified in advance that she would open a Taiwan representative office in the patriotic capital Tallinn, which meant that she might leave Estonia.
According to reports from the Russian Sputnik News Agency and other media, Toomas Kivimagi, chairman of the “Irish-China Friendship Group” of the Estonian Parliament, recently made the above statement to the local media Postimees.
Kivimiaj said that Guo Xiaomei requested a meeting with members of the “Irish-China Friendship Group” and expressed her support for Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu’s visit to Estonia on the 8th and the patriotic government’s intention to allow Taiwan to open a representative office in Tallinn. Concerned.
Kivimiaj pointed out that as a democratic country, Estonia is not suitable to say “who can go to Estonia and who cannot.” But as far as opening a representative office (in Taiwan) is concerned, this is undoubtedly a very serious problem and challenge. “The ambassador (Guo Xiaomei) has made it clear that this may mean that she may leave Estonia.”
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a statement on the 3rd that, like many EU countries, Estonia is also ready to accept Taipei to establish a non-diplomatic economic or cultural representative office in order to promote related relations.
Sackner said Estonia “does not recognize Taiwan as a country” and government members do not plan to meet with Joseph Wu. Although Tallinn has no plans to develop political relations with Taipei, Estonia still considers it “very important” to activate economic, educational, cultural and communication relations with Taiwan’s civil society organizations.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin claimed at a regular press conference on the 8th that China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between any country that has diplomatic relations with Taiwan, “opposes any behavior that supports Taiwan independence and separatist forces”, and demands that Estonia not allow Taiwan to “establish Any agency of an official nature.”
Subscribe to the “Good Morning World” e-newsletter and master 10 world affairs in 3 minutes a day
subscription
The Voice of America (VOA) Chinese website reported that Frank Jüris, a researcher at Tallinn University, said that Estonia is “interested in diversifying our partnerships in East Asia” because “focusing only on relations with China is not beneficial to Estonia. Not cost-effective.”
Yue Feiran pointed out that the increasing cooperation between China and Russia has not gone ignored. Since the Russo-Ukrainian war is an “existential threat” to Estonia, Tallinn will naturally pay more attention to those who support Ukraine and have “common concerns about defending the rules-based international order”, while Taiwan is those who “have the same experience” as Estonia one of the countries. (Editor: Lu Jiarong) 1121110
