OREANDA-NEWS. Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas met with Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang today to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries and Estonian companies’ access to the Chinese market. The meeting focused on cooperation in the field of logistics, food industry, as well as tourism and oil shale technologies. Prime Minister Rõivas said at the meeting that the interest of Estonian companies in China as a target market is currently increasing, and more and more investors are sought among Chinese companies in order to contribute to joint development projects. “We discussed specific cooperation projects, for example, using Port of Tallinn for the transport of Chinese goods, and Omniva’s cooperation with a Chinese large company,” Rõivas said. Rõivas confirmed that trade and logistics will remain as an important part of the Estonian economy. China as the world’s largest exporter is currently creating a transport corridor to Europe with the new Silk Road project, and appreciates Estonia’s geographical location and the experience of the logistics companies here. Estonia has the easternmost ice-free ports of the European Union, which enables year-round freight traffic from the East to the West. A good example of the cooperation between the logistics companies of the two countries is the joint company recently created between Omniva and the biggest courier company in China, SF Express, where the logistics of parcels sent from China to Europe is organised through Tallinn Airport. According to Rõivas, food industry is one of the sectors in Estonia that is deeply interested in China. “Premier of the State Council Li gave a clear signal that China is interested in opening its market to the Estonian agricultural products,” Rõivas said. In December, Minister of Rural Affairs Urmas Kruuse will visit China together with the companies of Estonian food industry. China, having the world’s third-largest oil shale reserves, is interested in the use of the most modern oil shale technology of Eesti Energia, as well as in cooperation on third markets, such as the joint project of Eesti Energia and large companies of China in Jordan. While discussing tourism, Rõivas said that although the number of visitors from China is showing rapid growth among tourists visiting Estonia, there are still a lot of growth opportunities. Estonia with its cultural values and pure nature is an attractive destination for the Chinese people. He said that a direct connection between Estonia and China could be established in the longer term.