Latvia and Estonia have announced they will withdraw from a China-backed forum aimed at strengthening relations with Eastern European countries. in a new setback for Chinese diplomacy.
“In view of the current priorities of Latvia’s foreign and trade policy, Latvia has decided to cease its participation in the cooperation framework of Central and Eastern European countries and China,” the Latvian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. .
The country “will continue to strive for constructive and pragmatic relations with China both bilaterally and through cooperation [União Europeia] EU-China on the basis of mutual benefit, respect for international law, human rights and the rules-based international order,” the statement issued on Thursday stressed.
Estonia issued a similar statement, saying that “would continue to work towards constructive and pragmatic relations with Chinawhich includes promoting EU-China relations in line with the international order based on rules and values such as human rights”.
The Baltic country highlighted in a statement that, although it joined the forum in 2012, “it did not participate in any of the meetings of the format after the summit last February.”
China created the forum to strengthen relations with EU members, as well as with Serbia and other European countries, in part to promote “One Belt, One Road,” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship initiative to build bridges, railways, power plants and other infrastructure around. the world.
China originally called the forum “17+1”, but the number of European partners has now been reduced to 14.
The first country to leave the forum, in May 2021, was Lithuania, months before the authorities of the European country allowed the opening of a “Taiwan Representative Office” in Vilnius, which provoked the fury of Beijing.
On June 30, Latvian President Egils Levits warned that China is attentive to the evolution of the war in Ukraine and could do “something similar” in the Indo-Pacific.
On the sidelines of a NATO summit, Levits recalled that the leaders of the 30 countries that make up the organization declared China a threat in the organization’s new strategic concept.
MPs from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia participated in a parliamentary forum organized by the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in November 2021 and met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
Source: Observadora
