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Baltic states claim trade imbalance reason for the withdrawal but Estonian FM Reinsalu says otherwise.
Written by Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher
Latvia and Estonia announced their withdrawal from the “17 + 1” format, which was created 10 years ago to promote economic relations between China and Eastern European countries. In justifying the unfriendly act towards China, the three Baltic Republics, which includes Lithuania, claimed that they placed great hope in economic benefits with China, but this did not materialise as there was very little investment from the Asian country. They also claimed that trade was damaged by the imbalance, which is in Beijing’s favour.
Interestingly, other members of “17 + 1” do not complain about the results of cooperation with Beijing, thus bringing to question why the three Baltic countries do. The Baltic countries decision was instigated by China’s unrelenting commitment to its relationship with Russia despite pressure from the West, and not because of some supposed disappointment in the volume of cooperation with China. Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu admitted as much on ERR radio, saying that the decision to withdraw from “17 + 1” was because of “China’s failure to condemn Russia’s aggression in Ukraine”.
The Baltic states have long held an anti-Moscow stance, perhaps the harshest in the EU. Although the Baltic states claim their anti-Russia stance is partly due to the historical legacy of the Soviet Union and Russian Empire, this is only a cheapening of history and also ignores numerous Lithuanian attempts over the centuries to capture Moscow. Rather, the behaviour of the ruling elites of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia is because of their obedience to the United States and NATO countries in the hope of receiving concessions and advantages, and not because of past grievances.
Asked about the developments, US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said “we respect and support Estonia and Latvia’s sovereign decision to no longer participate.”
“Estonia and Latvia are important and valued NATO allies and key US partners across a number of issues, including through our strong defense ties, our strong economic ties, as well as the promotion of democracy and human rights,” he added.
During this same period, the Seimas (Parliament) of Latvia listed Russia as a “State sponsor of terrorism”. Even before that, in May this year, the Lithuanian Parliament announced the same. These moves can be considered as the culmination of anti-Russian sentiment and a submissive attitude in relations with the US. These actions perhaps could be a precursor as Washington still contemplates on whether to list Russia as a “state sponsor of terrorism”.
None-the-less, the Baltic states have a rather scandalous position in Europe. Their government violated human rights by blatantly restricting the rights of Russian-speaking citizens in these countries, whilst also whitewashing, restoring and glorifying Nazi collaborators and demolishing monuments commemorating Soviet soldiers.
It can be assumed that Washington will support the decision of the Baltic States to withdraw from the “17 + 1” format. The current trend in Washington is that any provocation against Beijing is welcomed. It is for this reason that the Baltic states are emerging as the biggest cheerleaders in any aggression against China. Bizarrely, the Foreign Minister of Lithuania officially welcomed the visit of the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. In fact, the foreign minister was the only person in the EU to support the provocative trip by the high-ranking American official.
As Vilnius considers the Chinese Communist Party to be authoritarian and Taiwan a democracy, last year, the Lithuanian Government authorised the opening of a fully functional “Taiwan Representative Office” in its capital, something that Beijing vehemently objected. This resulted in the Asian Giant imposing sanctions against Lithuania by lowering the level of diplomatic relations and putting restrictions on trade.
It is currently difficult to say whether Beijing will take measures against Latvia and Estonia or how seriously it will take their withdrawal from the “17 + 1” format since they are minor states of the EU which yield very little influence. Beijing’s trade deals with the Baltic states are also insignificant – Latvia exported €162 million worth of goods to China and Estonia €195 million. If trade stopped altogether, no one in China would even notice.
Beijing cooperates with 14 other Eastern European countries, and in these countries, no one wants to give up economic ties with China. For example, Hungary has just proposed holding a “memorial ministerial meeting” in Budapest this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the “17 + 1” format. Although the overwhelmingly consensus in the “17 + 1” format is that relations with Beijing must continue to foster and thrive, the US has found its own figureheads in the Baltics, no matter how minor these countries are in the grand scheme of things, to oppose China from within the EU.
Take that one China and feel hurt!
Do you know that these two midgets are smaller than Beijing or Shenzhen?
These chihuahuas are just making fools out of themselves and showing to the entire world the utter stupidity and lack of intelligence of their elites and probably their people too.
You guys must be liberals with zero sense of humour. You cant see its sarcastic meant?
You should have a ‘Sarcasm’ Warning on all your posts, Tommy. :)
In fairness, many posters here do not have English as their first Language and sarcasm is difficult to translate accurately.
It was too thick sarcasm, such statement is suitable for USA#1 (from the end) or Jensy. My bad, I don’t remember T.Jensen well, so i was tricked by his sarcasm.
Whoever mods this should learn enough of the finer points of English to understand good sarcasm. They delete some of the best stuff.
Sarcasm, Rex.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yes, these three freeloading baltics trio are the most loyal lapdogs of Western bloc that are always on the hunt for free meals.
Latvia and Lituania needs mo money fo dem programs.
I am sure 1.4 BILLION Chinese will be really scared of the Latvian Jews and Baltic superpowers.
(((ukraine))))
these morons consume more alcohol than all peoples —clearly their moron leaders were bribed by CIA with a few cases of Russian vodka
No just free butt plugs for the politicians.
Their politicians are prolly satanist pedophiles.
All their presidents/prime ministers have foreign citizenship: USA, Canada mostly — where their fathers and grandfathers from waffen SS were hiding from fair judgement. So they are not bribed, they are simply agents of foreign states in limitroph — land with no sovereignty placed between global powers, land on the limits, limitroph, used as a buffer by one of powers against another power.
More “Mystical” news-
Romania that country with many poor people –many were in the UK till it left the EU, has appointed “Minerva ” who will be instantly know to Romanians as their “Famed ” Astrologer and crystal ball gazer as– wait for it—- an advisor of the National Bank of Romania ( BNR ) –obviously has the b***s for it –sorry couldn’t help putting that in — not Woke .
world balance of power now shifted—eskimo more relevant than these alcoholics
Latvia? Estonia? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Something new every day, right? 99% can’t point them on the map. Now you know names of these superpowers, live with it.)
Talk about delusions, if these three nothing of a countries disappeared right now no one notice. They think they are NATO’s powerhouse but all three would be wiped out without any effort!
Estonia is surely a powerhouse for mafia dirty money washing.
Russia and China need to ensure they never trade with those countries ever again; force the EU to drain resources to supply them.
Not much resources will be enough, because there is just 5-6 million people for all 3 superpowers. They lost at least 1/4 of population since 1991 when “independence” struck and destroyed all heavy industry and electronics built by USSR. Many people went to EU seeking a place for job. So the EU can finance this nazist limitroph of Pribaltica as long as Brussels want. But you’re right, they must be punished at least with economic measures.
they are already bolnoy—the punish themselves
Let them go in peace! But let them go! Pronto!
They are some irrelevant nordic appendix of the eu, with no economic value, not even for transfer – since the only direction in which they would be useful as transfer states is… [browsing]… [rustling]… Russia!
Shit, Sherlock! If there only were a single one person to have warned them!
There is a large Russian population in Latvia and they are being persecuted now by the Latvian government.
Russians in the Baltic states have had to put up with abuse since the fall of the USSR. It’s worse now, of course.
Good for the Latvians. I empathize with Russia against Ukraine, but will always empathize with the Baltic states against Russia.
I’d be fine with Russia conducting nuclear sharing with Belarus, Crimea & the Donbass if NATO could similarly conduct nuclear sharing with the Baltic states.
Ukraine has done everything the US and nato have asked of it, and whilst they were doing that, the US and nato stole most, if not all, of their gold, farmland, oil&gas companies.
Look at it now! It will never be the same again.
When the ramifications for the short-sightedness of politicians kicks in, the politicians will be long gone. Back to their estates and mansions with full pockets. Meanwhile the people will need to fend for themselves.
A nato puppet doing what nato puppets do, isn’t going to come as any surprise to the Chinese admin. They have plenty more free states with which to do business, so why bash heads with a nato puppet who’s head is made from wood?
If the Russian alliance is obliged to pacify all of Ukraine, the US and Looters will lose all their assets that cannot be moved. LOL
Worthless little countries, no body will notice……
FUCK OFF ESTONIA and LATVIA… YOU ARE NOTHING BUT LOOSING ANGLOSAXON LAP DOGS and PARASITE on EUROPE
Euro fascistic states under direct CIA rule.
lol garbage countries anyway those latvia and estonia
Biggest shithole country is Rumania.
“they placed great hope in economic benefits with China, but this did not materialise as there was very little investment from the Asian country.”
For fuck sake would you invest in countries in the heart of the European bloodlands whose entire foreign policy revolves around finding ways to start a war between nuclear superpowers?
Letting the Baltic states and Poland into NATO will result in either the dissolution of NATO because the countries with something to lose won’t be dragged into WW3 by these arseholes or a nuclear holocaust … they don’t call it the bloodlands for nothing.
They would invest if they hadn’t realized their investments would be hindered by the USA’s orders to their laptog governments.Like Ukraine did 2-3 years ago, when it nationalized an asset/investment of China, and nowr it privatized it again!!! (meaning, they only nationalized it to take it out of China’s hands)
The politicians in these little pissant countries are a joke. Derrière kissing attention seekers , their constituents should be embarrassed.
No, they are not. Most of them are bigger attentions seekers than these clowns.
What a crock of shit. The people in these crappy Baltic countries better wake up. Their “leaders” are destroying their countries.
Man, it’s really going to be difficult to choose the winner for this years Dumbest Country in the World award
I marvel at all the European countries shooting themselves in the foot at the behest of the biden dog and pony show and nato.
Latvia and Estonia are cute suburbs
LLLLLLLOOOOOOLLLLLLLL!!!!!!
these drunk peasant almost as irrelevant as us drunkard morons so happy we all need anti-depressants//hip hip pigs like danes
these are not nations–they are summer camps for drunk danes and amerikans
Or is it because they are part of the Group of 12, that hope to compete with the OneBelt and Road Project?
Quite comical, that the nations bordering the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas believe they have the intelligence to attempt to compete with China and OBAR. Why are those schooled via the Young Global Leaders Academy, so dense?
The problem is those 3 tiny nasty countries hold 3 votes of equal importance inside the EU.