The Czech Republic should engage in mutually beneficial cooperation and not over-rely on mainland China economically, said the head of a 90-member delegation from the central European nation to Taiwan as they concluded a six-day historic visit to the self-rule island.

It would be unacceptable if the Czech Republic became a vassal or satellite state of mainland China, like it was to Moscow before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Senate President Milos Vystrcil, who led the delegation, said on Friday.

Vystrcil said during an interview with Taiwan’s Central News Agency that he was not opposed to conducting business activities with China, but cooperation must be mutually beneficial.

The Czech delegation was set to leave Taiwan later on Friday. It was the highest-level Czech delegation to visit Taiwan since communist rule ended in the central European country in 1989.

Vystrcil’s views were echoed by another delegation member, Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib, who told reporters on Friday that Beijing had failed in almost all of its investment pledges made to the Czech Republic.

Czech people or companies had not benefited from any technology transfers or investment from China, Hrib said. The gains from Chinese investment into the central European country were “entirely over-estimated,” he said.

The Taiwan visit, on the other hand, had yielded fruitful results, ranging from talks over opening direct flights between Taipei and Prague to technology exchanges and discussions on borrowing two endangered pangolins from Taiwan for a Prague zoo, Hrib said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi earlier singled out Vystrcil for condemnation over the visit. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory despite the island’s de-facto self-ruled status. Wang said Vystrcil must “pay a heavy price” for his “short-sighted actions and political opportunism.”

Wang’s harsh warning was intimidating, Vystrcil said, but added that he would not be bowed by the threat. Vystrcil said he couldn’t encourage others to find the courage and determination to fight for freedom and democracy if he did not show those qualities himself. He also said that the aim of the delegation’s visit was not to antagonize China.

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