China rebukes Estonia for report showing ‘Cold War Mindset’

China lashed out at a report by Estonian foreign intelligence service , saying it reflected “ignorance” and a “Cold War mindset.”

Last week, Estonia’s foreign intelligence service said in its annual report that China’s use of overseas investments for political purposes was “increasing threats to Estonia’s security.” The report, whose wording appeared more critical than in previous years, said China’s “underlying goal is to impose its own worldview and standards.”

China’s embassy in Tallinn issued an unprecedented statement, urging “wrong expressions” to be corrected and “the negative impact” removed, according to a statement on its website statement dated Feb. 14.

The report’s section on China “is characterized by ignorance, prejudice as well as a Cold War mindset,” China’s embassy said in the statement. “Regardless the prospective ongoing relations between China and Estonia, it presents China as a so-called country of threat by stories out of nothing, distorted facts or malicious attacks.”

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu told public broadcaster ERR he rejects the Chinese demands and that the foreign intelligence service’s assessment “is based on its expertise.”

The growing trade ties between the two countries recently suffered a dent as Estonia joined its key ally, the U.S., in banning Huawei technology from its 5G networks, without mentioning the Chinese company explicitly. Potential Chinese financing for a project to build the world’s longest undersea rail tunnel between Finland and Estonia has also raised concerns of Estonian authorities.

The Chinese embassy in another Baltic nation, Lithuania, earlier this month rejected a similar report by its intelligence services and expressed “grave dissatisfaction” with the accusations, according to a statement cited by the BNS newswire. The embassy urged the Lithuanian authorities to abandon what it called its “Cold War mentality and zero-sum-game mindset,” and to seek mutual security by cooperation.