China protests Estonian lawmakers' attendance at Taiwanese event in Tallinn
The Chinese Embassy in Estonia sent a formal diplomatic note to the Riigikogu, Estonia's parliament, over eight members attending a Taiwan National Day reception in Tallinn. The head of the parliamentary friendship group, Kristo Enn Vaga, said contacts with Taiwan will continue.
The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Estonia has sent a formal diplomatic note to the Riigikogu, Estonia's parliament, over lawmakers' attendance at a reception for Taiwan's National Day in Tallinn. The event took place on September 29 and was organized by the Taipei Representative Office in Latvia. Such notes are not new: the embassy has sent similar ones in previous years.
What the embassy says
The note names eight Riigikogu members: Marko Mihkelson, Kristo Enn Vaga, Kalle Laanet and Jüri Jaanson (all Reform Party), Peeter Tali (Eesti 200), Riina Sikkut (Social Democrats) and Anti Poolamets and Evelin Poolamets (conservative EKRE).
The embassy recalled that Estonia has committed to recognizing the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China and Taiwan as an inalienable part of Chinese territory. It argued that, as members of a state institution, the lawmakers' attendance can be seen as a form of official interaction with Taiwan, which it said violates those commitments and undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It urged the lawmakers to adhere to the one-China principle and be cautious in what they say and do regarding Taiwan.
The most recent earlier note was sent last summer, after the Riigikogu's Estonia-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group visited Taiwan.
The lawmakers' response
Kristo Enn Vaga, chairman of the friendship group, said it has become something of a tradition for the embassy to send notes whenever the group attends Taiwan-related events. He said no foreign country can dictate what Estonian lawmakers may do. According to him, Estonia does not recognize Taiwan as a state and has no plans to change that, but sees it pragmatically as a potential partner.
Vaga pointed to joint projects, including Taiwanese government funding in support of Ukraine, which paid for a family home opened in Zhytomyr Oblast at the end of the summer. The project was carried out by ESTDEV, the Estonian government agency responsible for humanitarian aid. He also said economic cooperation with China is being scaled back, citing Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service reports that advise reducing dependence on Chinese technology. The group, he said, will not change its approach because of the criticism.
