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ChinaDiplomacy

Czech President Milos Zeman slams Taiwan visit as ‘boyish provocation’ as he seeks to calm China’s anger

  • Country’s leader says he will stop inviting senate president Milos Vystrcil to foreign policy briefings following the trip
  • Prime Minister Andrej Babis says he will try to protect Czech firms from fallout amid reports piano maker Petrof had lost a US$237,000 order

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Czech President Milos Zeman favours closer ties to China. Photo: DPA
Wendy Wu

Czech President Milos Zeman has accused the Senate speaker of a “boyish provocation” for visiting Taiwan as the government sought to calm China’s anger over the trip.

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Zeman, who has sought closer ties with China since taking office in 2013, also said in an interview with the broadcaster Prima on Sunday that he would stop inviting Milos Vystrcil, a member of a centre-right opposition party, to the meetings of the country’s top foreign policy officials.

Vystrcil, the president of the Czech Senate, led a 90-member delegation to Taiwan last week, defying the Czech government as well as China, which considers the island to be a breakaway province.

He also made headlines when he told Taiwan parliament “I am Taiwanese” in a speech that alluded to John F Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in West Berlin.

Vystrcil also said his Taiwan visit underscored the “values-based” foreign policy of former president Vaclav Havel, who was a prominent dissident during the communist era.

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'I am Taiwanese', Czech senate president tells Taiwan's parliament

'I am Taiwanese', Czech senate president tells Taiwan's parliament
The trip was greeted with fury by China and prompted the country’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to threaten that Vystrcil would “pay a heavy price” for the visit.
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