All Three Baltic Countries Abandon Cooperation Framework With CCP

On Aug 11th, Eastern states Latvia and Estonia announced their withdrawals from a cooperation group between Communist China and Central and Eastern European countries, following it the footsteps of Lithuania which quitted the group last May.

It is learnt that before Lithuania’s withdrawal, the group expanded into a 17+1 platform at one point, while the cooperation framework shrank to a 14+1 platform with all three Baltic nations successively exiting the format.

Both Estonian and Latvian foreign ministries stated they would continue to strive for constructive and pragmatic relations with Communist China both bilaterally and through Sino-EU cooperation while respecting the rules-based international order and human rights. Estonian foreign minister said Tallinn had not participated in any meeting held under the framework after last February’s summit. Given CCP’s escalating military pressure on Taiwan and support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Latvian foreign minister believed cooperation with Beijing was no longer in line with Riga’s strategic objectives in the current international environment.

The group was a cooperative platform between Communist China and Central and Eastern European states established in 2012. Some critics pointed that CCP sought to use the format to split the EU by forging ties with its small member states overlooked by Brussels.

After exiting the group, Lithuania actively urged related countries to interact with Communist China as EU member states to avoid being divided and conquered one by one.

In addition, Czech Republic’s lower house of parliament passed a resolution this May, calling for the cabinet to quit the group, while its foreign minister Jan Lipavsky said most of CCP’s promise of large investments and mutually beneficial trade have not being fulfilled even after 10 years.