Beijing protests Tallinn Taiwan reception as MPs cite China tech risk

The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Estonia has sent a formal diplomatic note to the Riigikogu over lawmakers who attended a reception in Tallinn marking the National Day of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

The event was held on September 29 and organized by the Taipei Representative Office in Latvia. The note names Marko Mihkelson (Reform), Peeter Tali (Eesti 200), Kristo Enn Vaga (Reform), Kalle Laanet (Reform), Jüri Jaanson (Reform), Riina Sikkut (SDE), Anti Poolamets (EKRE) and Evelin Poolamets (EKRE).

The embassy said Estonia has committed to recognize the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China and to treat Taiwan as an inalienable part of Chinese territory. "The government of the Republic of Estonia has undertaken not to establish formal or official relations with Taiwan in any form," the embassy said. It described the Riigikogu members as officials of an Estonian state institution and said their attendance "can be regarded as a form of official interaction with Taiwan," which it said violates those commitments and undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The embassy urged the lawmakers to follow the one-China principle and to be cautious in words and actions on Taiwan so as not to damage bilateral relations further. It has sent similar notes in earlier years. The latest before this one came last summer, after a visit to Taiwan by the Riigikogu's Estonia-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Kristo Enn Vaga, chairman of that group, said the notes have become something of a tradition whenever members attend Taiwan-related events. "When communist China writes that I or other Riigikogu members are doing something wrong, I take it as a compliment because it must mean I'm doing something right," he said. He added that diplomatic relations with China do not let a foreign country dictate what Riigikogu members may do.

"Estonia does not recognize Taiwan as a state and there are no plans to change that. But from a pragmatic perspective, we see Taiwan, with the world's fastest-growing economy, as a potential partner," Vaga said. He pointed to joint projects, including Taiwanese government funding, in cooperation with Estonia, to support Ukraine. A family home opened in Zhytomyr Oblast at the end of the summer was built entirely with that funding, and the project was carried out by ESTDEV, Estonia's government agency for humanitarian aid.

Vaga said economic cooperation with China is being scaled back. He cited annual reports of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, which say reducing dependence on China would be advisable, particularly in the technology sector, because it could become a security threat. "Even now, the use of Chinese technology in certain critical sectors may pose a security threat to Estonia," he said.

The friendship group does not intend to yield to the criticism. "I personally, along with many of my colleagues, intend to continue engaging with Taiwan just as actively as we have in the past and Chinese criticism or diplomatic notes certainly won't change that," Vaga said.