On December 13th, Ambassador Guo Xiaomei’s article titled "Keep opening up and embrace shared development" was published in Estonian Newspaper Õhtuleht.
Full text in Estonian can be found here:
https://www.ohtuleht.ee/1120502/avatuse-suurendamine-ja-valmisolek-uhiseks-arenguks
The English text is as follows:
It has been one year since I arrived in Estonia as the Chinese Ambassador. During this year, I’ve been meeting with amazing Estonians, including officials, politicians, scholars, entrepreneurs and common citizens. Every time they talk about China, the economic strength is what could never escape from the topic.
Indeed, rapid and sound development has been achieved since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Over the past 75 years, China has evolved from weak and poor into the world’s second-largest economy. In 1952 China’s per capita GDP was merely $54, ranked in the bottom 10 of the world. In 2023, the number reached $12,681, nearly 235 times larger. What we Chinese have learned from this success? That is, reform and opening up. It was the reform and opening up policy introduced in 1978 that added the strength to China’s development. The reform and opening up is one of our secrets without which China would not be what it is today.
I’ve also noticed the success story of Estonia. Right after restoring its independence in 1991, Estonia adopted significant economic reforms and technological innovations. The per capita GDP rose from $7338 in 1993 to $29,823 in 2023. Estonia also stands out in the index of economic openness.
There is a saying in China, everything in the past is the prologue for the future. Nowadays, our world is facing new challenges and problems among which is deficit in development. According to the Global Economic Outlook by the World Bank, in 2024 and 2025, nearly 60% of economies will grow below the average of the 2010s. To create new growth momentum is the task facing almost every country.
For China, high-quality economic development characterized by innovation and high technology is the way for the future. The Resolution on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization was adopted this year during the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. The purpose and direction of the reform is to promote the transformation towards high-quality development. Keep opening up is the defining feature. We believe that by expanding opening up, reform could be better achieved and vice versa. On our journey towards modernization we will enhance cooperation with other countries and China’s enormous market will definitely benefit the rest of the world.
I’m glad to see all the achievements on bilateral economic cooperation between China and Estonia. According to the Statistics Estonia, in 2023, the total trade volume between our two countries reached 1 billion euros, and Estonia’s exports to China increased by 20.4%. For years, China ranks the eighth largest import partner of Estonia. At the same time, I can also see the great potential for deepening cooperation against the background of China’s high-quality development both in the traditional areas of cooperation and potential new areas, such as digital economy, AI technology and green energy. China and Estonia could have more exchanges, seek more cooperation opportunities and get more mutual benefit outcomes.
Meanwhile, the so-called “de-risking” in name of economic security emerged in EU countries in recent years. Interpreted as “reducing dependence on China”, it may sound more moderate and less confrontational than “de-coupling” but still a typical action of politicization of economic issues with the scope of security issues expands based mainly on ideological bias. In today’s world, it’s unlikely for one country to be isolated from the rest of the world, mutual dependence doesn’t means insecurity. On the other hand, no country could achieve security without mutual benefit cooperation.
China has always been pursuing friendly cooperation with all countries on the basis of Five Principles of Coexistence, i.e., mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual nonaggression, mutual noninterference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. We attache great importance to the economic and trade relations with Estonia. The Chinese Embassy in Tallinn is always ready to serve the enterprises from both countries and promote bilateral economic cooperation. With the door open wider and wider, we are ready to embrace shared development together with the rest of the world, including Estonia.