The Chinese government issued a warning to Estonia after the Baltic nation said it would allow Taiwanese officials to open a non-diplomatic office to develop cultural and economic relations.
China opposes any official exchange with Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own, “in any form,” Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday. The remarks came a day after Estonia’s Postimees newspaper reported that China’s ambassador warned she may leave the country if the office is opened.
“We urge Estonia to uphold its commitment to the one-China principle and effectively maintain the political foundation of bilateral relations and not allow Taiwan to establish any official institution,” Wang said in Beijing in response to a query on Estonia.
The Estonian government last week gave its backing for a potential future office under the name of the Taiwanese capital Tapei, emphasizing that it wouldn’t engage politically with Taiwan and that it continues to support the one-China principle. The decision came ahead of a visit by Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, to the region this week.
The Chinese statement “does not conflict with the Estonian government’s official position,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mihkel Tamm said. Estonia’s top diplomat, Margus Tsahkna, has no plans to meet Wu, who is visiting Tallinn on Wednesday, Tamm said.
Lithuania, another Baltic nation, triggered a diplomatic row in 2021 when it allowed a representative office to open under the name of Taiwan. Most countries that have relations with China tend to use the name Taipei for the office.
Beijing responded by downgrading diplomatic relations with Lithuania, regarding the use of the Taiwan label a challenge to its sovereignty. China also began blocking Lithuanian products at customs, prompting the European Union to raise the issue with the World Trade Organization.
--With assistance from Milda Seputyte.
