Estonia: Controversy continues over China trip of Estonian MPs

Members of the Estonia-China friendship group of the Estonian parliament will probably no longer travel to China on trips paid for by the host country, the group’s chairman, MP Toomas Kivimägi of the Estonian Reform Party, stated, ERR reports. Earlier, controversy arose when a group of Estonian MPs paid a visit to China, with costs paid in part by Beijing. Kivimägi accepted the criticism over China paying for local expenses during the trip. Meanwhile, opposition Fatherland (Isamaa) MP Mart Maastik insisted that Estonia should focus on building relationships. He pointed out that China’s economy grew by 5% in 2023 and argued that there was no reason to believe that China supported Russia’s war in Ukraine. Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) MP Andrei Korobeinik told ERR that he was “certainly not embarrassed” over the trip, pointing out that China was “a key economic partner for the EU.” Urmas Hõbepappel, analyst at the University of Tartu Asia Centre, noted that China tries to influence Western visitors and have them repeat narratives that suit China, ERR reported. He questioned the morality of the Estonian delegation’s trip.