Kohtla-Järve mayor questioned after hosting New Year event with Chinese embassy

A Chinese New Year celebration held in the eastern Estonian town of Kohtla-Järve represented a cultural initiative aimed at easing tensions in relations, the city's mayor said Monday. The event was held in cooperation with the Chinese Embassy in Estonia.
Mayor Henri Kaselo (SDE) said the event, held on Sunday at the town's cultural center (Kohtla-Järve Kultuurikeskus) at the suggestion of the Chinese Embassy in Estonia, had no connection with national security issues, despite warnings from the Internal Security Service (ISS) and the Foreign Intelligence Agency (Välisluureamet).
Kaselo wrote on his social media account: "Yesterday (Sunday – ed.), a grand Chinese New Year celebration took place at the Kohtla-Järve cultural center, providing an opportunity to explore China's rich cultural heritage."
"I stressed in my speech that in a world often dominated by political tensions, it is important to focus on what unites us rather than what divides us," Kaselo went on.
Chinese New Year itself comes on Wednesday and heralds the Year of the Snake.
"The upcoming Year of the Snake primarily symbolizes wisdom, prosperity, change, and the closure of old chapters or activities, paving the way for new beginnings," Kaselo went on.
"The Year of the Snake creates all the pre-conditions needed to bring to an end various global conflicts and to bring about a long-awaited and just peace. I thank the Embassy of the People's Republic of China and Ambassador Her Excellency Ms. Guo Xiaomei for this opportunity to enjoy China's cultural heritage in Kohtla-Järve," Kaselo added.
The mayor also noted that the embassy has previously showcased Chinese culture in the town.
The most recent ISS yearbook stated that the primary intelligence threat to Estonia remains the intelligence activities of both the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China.
The ISS also noted that one of China's main conduits for exercising its soft power, propagating Beijing's official narrative across various political fields, and bolstering its image in Estonia is the embassy in Tallinn itself.
The Foreign Intelligence Agency similarly cautioned in its yearbook that the Communist Party-led People's Republic of China is aiming to deliberately undermine Western influence and is attempting to steer international relations toward a multi-polar world order, one aligned with the principles and interests of some authoritarian regimes.
These reports followed the October 2023 Newnew Polar Bear incident, in which the trailing anchor of a Hong Kong-flagged freighter caused damage to the Balticconnector undersea gas pipeline.
In August last year, the PRC conceded that the Newnew Polar Bear had damaged the pipeline which links Estonia and Finland, but stated that this was an accident.
ERR conducted an interview with Mayor Henri Kaselo in the aftermath of his social media post, which follows:
Who initiated the celebration of the Chinese New Year in Kohtla-Järve?
The Chinese Embassy provided this opportunity. The madam ambassador had also visited Kohtla-Järve during our "Music on Water" festival (held in July 2024-ed.).
As part of this event, we had set up a tent showcasing Chinese culture, similar to a display given by India.
We also hosted the Georgian ambassador, along with various nations presenting their own cultures, at our summer festival.
During the course of the event, we discussed the possibility of further cultural cooperation, to showcase Chinese culture.
Culture is the best way to connect different peoples, alleviate tensions, and soften disagreements that may have arisen due to political or other differences. Communication is always the preferred option.
Both the ISS and the Foreign Intelligence Service have repeatedly warned about the threat from China. Did you consult, for example, the ISS ahead of organizing this event? What is your comment on these warnings?
Kohtla-Järve city government does not coordinate all its events and activities with the ISS.
I believe the ISS has plenty of work already, without having to deal with every municipal event.
This event carried no negative undertones. In my speech, I emphasized the importance of peace, especially in this Year of the Snake, which symbolizes peace.
I highlighted the need to end conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Myanmar. Communication always contributes to achieving peace.
But do you take the warnings from the ISS and the Foreign Intelligence Service seriously, including the claims that China's intelligence activities pose, alongside Russia, a primary security threat to Estonia?
No one had specifically warned me or the Kohtla-Järve city government about organizing a cultural event.
Regarding areas other than culture, there are indeed some certain risks. For instance, with the cable incidents, many questionable issues remain. Investigations are ongoing to determine the culprits.
To preemptively claim that China is behind everything—well, I'm not competent to make judgments of that kind. I don't know if the ISS or others are fully equipped to make those claims, either.
If it is definitive proof pointing to China you seek, you will need to consult them.
We are engaged in cultural cooperation, at the municipal level. We are not dealing with global issues here. Those matters are for other institutions, not Kohtla-Järve city government, so your question is somewhat misplaced.
The latest ISS yearbook states: "The Chinese Embassy in Tallinn serves as one of China's primary instruments for exerting soft power, disseminating official narratives across various policy domains and enhancing China's image." What is your response to that?
Every single embassy works in the interests of its own country; that is basic.
Estonia's embassies also work to represent the interests of Estonia, and of the EU. There's nothing surprising there. And as for the Chinese Embassy—yes, they have different departments dealing with various issues. This comes as no surprise to me, so let's not act naïve.
What is your own assessment of current relations between Estonia and China?
I believe relations have become much more strained. However, I, as a Libra, have always been the kind of person who seeks common ground, and I firmly believe you can achieve more with kindness than with the raising of fists.
I don't agree with many things, such as issues related to the Uyghurs and their rights in China. Still, engaging on a human level and explaining one's viewpoints is always a more reasonable approach.
Similarly, after the annexation of Crimea [in 2014], in 2016 came criticism of the "1,000 Estonians in St. Petersburg" project and why the Minister of Culture had been in attendance.
But they emphasized that relationships between people are the most important thing. Leaders of nations may differ, and we may not like them, but human interaction must always prevail, if we are to hope for any change.
There are no black-and-white solutions. In diplomacy, we all know that the goal is to find common ground and to approach the other side in a more cordial manner.
If we consider how small Russia's economy is—it is the equivalent only to the size of the Netherlands and Belgium combined—China fully understands that in the long term, it is more reasonable to lean towards the EU, than towards Russia. I haven't lost faith in China becoming more EU-friendly in the future.
So, I believe it is viable to improve relations, and through culture, we can soften certain tensions. I always support easing tensions.
However, to label me as pro-China or pro-Russia, or anything of the sort, would be excessive. I am far from that.
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Editor: Aleksander Krjukov, Andrew Whyte