People linked to Latvia's Farmers Union attend China embassy-backed youth conference
Several people associated with the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) attended a conference organized by the Latvia-China Friendship Association marking 35 years of diplomatic relations. Experts and security services warn that Beijing uses such youth events to expand its influence.
A conference called "Youth Salon," the fifth of its kind organized by the Latvia-China Friendship Association, took place this week at the Avalon hotel, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Latvia and China. Journalists from the program "Nekā personīga" found several people connected to the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) among the attendees.
The event was not widely attended, and young people were a minority among participants, though several Chinese embassy representatives were present and had prepared a lengthy presentation on the history of Latvia-China relations, including a claim that over 7,000 Latvians have studied Chinese at the Confucius Institute, alongside emphasis on China's importance to Latvia's economy.
Among those present were Gints Golubs, deputy head of the youth wing of the Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS), and party member Liene Zamazlova-Kazikova, both of whom are running in the upcoming Saeima elections from Riga's list. Photos from past events suggest they attend such conferences regularly. The association is led by ZZS member Ņina Linde, who also heads the Institute of Economics at the Latvian Academy of Sciences — a think tank that since 2019 has cooperated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, writing paid monthly reports for a Budapest-based China-CEE research institute.
Expert and security service assessments
Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova, director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, said youth diplomacy is a relatively new soft-power tool that Xi Jinping's government has increasingly used in recent years to build influence and a positive image beyond traditional political elites.
Latvia's Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) said such organizations' activities do not by themselves pose a serious threat to national security, but warned they could be exploited for Chinese interests if they become financially or otherwise dependent on Beijing. The report comes the same week the European Parliament issued a statement calling for strengthened efforts against hybrid threats, specifically highlighting risks China poses to European democracy.
