Estonian foreign minister in China, meets counterpart
Estonian Foreign Minister Keit Pentus-Rosimannus met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday, with both sides saying relations are good.
Both foreign ministers said the relations between China and Estonia are good after a period of stagnation, ETV reported.
ETV's Astrid Kannel, who traveled to China with Pentus-Rosimannus, said China is still developing quickly and becoming more open to the outside world.
“Democracy means food, clean air, water and a good life for the Chinese. Not slogans and protests on the streets. I have met US officials who have joked that a central government is sometime far better than a democratic or decentralized government," said Teng Jianqun, an analytic at the China Institute of International Studies.
Pentus-Rosimannus opened a new Estonian Embassy building in Beijing. “China is a very important partner for us in Asia, with whom we wish to promote both trade and cultural and educational cooperation,” she said. “The visit will provide an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations.”
Tallinn University opens high-level Chinese course
In other related news, The Confucius Institute at the Tallinn University will begin Chinese language lessons on an advanced or C1 level from spring.
Around 500-600 people in Estonia learn Chinese, with 179 of them at the Confucius Institute, which has been teaching the language since 2010.
Editor: J.M. Laats