Source: Website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
On January 17, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a video conference with Estonian Foreign Minister Limec at the invitation.
Wang Yi said that in the more than 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ireland, the relations between the two countries have developed in a balanced and healthy manner, bringing well-being to the people of the two countries. In the face of the challenge of the epidemic, the two countries have expressed solidarity with each other and cooperated in fighting the epidemic, which has added new connotations to the friendship between China and Ireland. Last year, the two countries made new progress in pragmatic cooperation in overcoming the epidemic and showed vigorous vitality.
Wang Yi said that the experience of China-Ireland exchanges fully shows that as long as the two countries respect each other and treat each other as equals, the two sides can achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. Facing the new 30 years of bilateral relations, the two sides should continue to attach importance to each other's legitimate concerns in core interests, abide by the norm of non-interference in international relations, and safeguard the political foundation of bilateral relations. The Chinese side is willing to strengthen communication with the Irish side and achieve a stable and far-reaching relationship between the two countries. The two sides should expand cooperation in agricultural and food products, e-commerce, digital economy and other fields. China will continue to uphold the policy of opening up to the outside world, welcome Irish enterprises to invest in China, share China's development opportunities, and hope that the Estonian side will provide a fair competition and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises.
Limetz said that the Estonian side attaches great importance to Irish-Chinese relations and positively evaluates the stable development of bilateral relations. The Estonian side will continue to firmly pursue the one-China policy and is willing to enhance mutual trust between the two sides and jointly promote the stronger development of bilateral relations. The Estonian side appreciates the fruitful cooperation between the two sides during Ireland's first term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and is willing to continue to maintain close communication and coordination with China to jointly contribute to global peace and development. The Estonian side supports China in running the Beijing Winter Olympics well and participates in the joint proposal of the Olympic Truce resolution, believing that the Winter Olympics will be a complete success.
Wang Yi stressed that China has always maintained that all countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community, no country can be superior to others, and that countries should respect each other and treat each other as equals. China has always advocated multilateralism, opposed unilateral acts and supported the democratization of international relations, and international affairs should be jointly discussed by all countries, not one or two countries, let alone return to the law of the jungle. China has always maintained that the central role of the United Nations should be brought into play, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be upheld, and the basic norms governing international relations, such as respect for national sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs and settlement of disputes through dialogue, should be safeguarded. We are willing to work with the Irish side to inject more stability into the international environment full of uncertainty and instability.
The two sides exchanged views on China-EU relations. Wang Yi said that China and europe are partners rather than rivals. The two systems are different, stemming from their respective historical and cultural accumulations and the choices made by the people. Institutional differences do not mean confrontation, and the two sides can learn from each other and improve together on the basis of mutual respect. China has always supported the development and growth of the EU, supported European integration, supported the EU to play a greater role in international affairs, and supported the EU in enhancing its strategic autonomy. Limetz said that the Estonian side supports EU-China friendship and cooperation, and believes that good EU-China relations are also conducive to promoting bilateral relations between EU member states and China.
The two sides agreed to continue to maintain communication, hold diplomatic and political consultations between the two countries at an appropriate time, and accelerate the signing process of the Protocol on the Export of Dairy Products and Wild Aquatic Products to China.
The two sides also exchanged views on green and digital cooperation, believing that international cooperation should be strengthened to jointly address global challenges such as climate change and strive to build a secure, open and cooperative cyberspace.