Czech Senate speaker to visit Taiwan despite threats from China
蘋果日報 2020/06/10 13:15
The Czech Republic's second-in-command plans to fulfill his late predecessor's promise to visit Taiwan despite Beijing's threats of retaliation on Czech business interests in China.
Milos Vystrcil, speaker of the upper house of Czech parliament, said he planned a one-week visit to Taiwan with a trade mission from August 30 to September 5, according to a report by Czech’s public television broadcaster on Tuesday.
Vystrcil's decision is expected to infuriate China which claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island and has been determined to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.
The Czech Senate speaker is only second to the president in the Czech political hierarchy. Vystrcil's predecessor Jaroslav Kubera, 72, died unexpectedly in January before he could make the trip originally scheduled for February.
Reuters reported in February that the Chinese embassy in Prague on January 10 sent a letter to the Czech president’s office suggesting that Czech companies operating in mainland China, such as Volkswagen subsidiary Skoda Auto or lender Home Credit Group would suffer if Kubera went ahead with the trip.
Kubera's family later told local media that Kubera before his death had become stressed after receiving repeated threats from the Czech presidency and the Chinese embassy to pressure him into cancelling the trip.
Vystrcil would be the central European country’s most senior official ever to visit Taiwan if the trip goes as planned.
You Si-kun, president of Taiwan's legislature, praised Vystrcil for his courage to show the world that the Czech Republic would stand with the free and democratic world and not succumb to intimidation.
Taiwan's foreign ministry said it would provide every assistance in coordination with the Legislative Yuan to make Vystrcil's visit a success.
China's foreign ministry had not issued a response to Vystrcil's planned visit by press time.
Milos Vystrcil, speaker of the upper house of Czech parliament, said he planned a one-week visit to Taiwan with a trade mission from August 30 to September 5, according to a report by Czech’s public television broadcaster on Tuesday.
Vystrcil's decision is expected to infuriate China which claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island and has been determined to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.
The Czech Senate speaker is only second to the president in the Czech political hierarchy. Vystrcil's predecessor Jaroslav Kubera, 72, died unexpectedly in January before he could make the trip originally scheduled for February.
Reuters reported in February that the Chinese embassy in Prague on January 10 sent a letter to the Czech president’s office suggesting that Czech companies operating in mainland China, such as Volkswagen subsidiary Skoda Auto or lender Home Credit Group would suffer if Kubera went ahead with the trip.
Kubera's family later told local media that Kubera before his death had become stressed after receiving repeated threats from the Czech presidency and the Chinese embassy to pressure him into cancelling the trip.
Vystrcil would be the central European country’s most senior official ever to visit Taiwan if the trip goes as planned.
You Si-kun, president of Taiwan's legislature, praised Vystrcil for his courage to show the world that the Czech Republic would stand with the free and democratic world and not succumb to intimidation.
Taiwan's foreign ministry said it would provide every assistance in coordination with the Legislative Yuan to make Vystrcil's visit a success.
China's foreign ministry had not issued a response to Vystrcil's planned visit by press time.
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