The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday repudiated an allegation that Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil received US$4 million from Taiwan for his visit in August, citing a Czech media report that said Beijing might be behind the disinformation campaign.
Czech news site Aktualne.cz reported the claim originated from Swiss consultancy RefinSol Advisory Services, which has close ties to Chinese “united front” organizations, the ministry said in a news release.
The ministry said that the allegation was further evidence of Beijing’s so-called “wolf warrior” diplomacy, which uses malicious sensationalism to influence foreign societies, as it called on other countries to reject the lies.
Photo taken from Twitter
“This is a blatantly absurd lie. This disinformation that is about me, it is the first time I have heard about it,” Vystrcil told the news site.
In its first assembly since last month’s legislative elections, the Czech Senate on Wednesday re-elected Vystrcil as president by an overwhelming majority, once again demonstrating the resilience of the Czech Republic’s democratic institutions, the ministry said.
Taiwan Representative to the Czech Republic Ke Liang-ruey (柯良叡) congratulated Vystrcil on behalf of Taipei and said that hopefully the two democracies would continue to deepen their partnership, the ministry said.
Vystrcil received 73 of 77 votes to be elected to another two-year term, the Czech News Agency reported.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Vice President William Lai (賴清德) and Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) also congratulated Vystrcil via social media.
In a speech before the vote, Vystrcil emphasized the Senate’s independence, saying he hoped the body could be “a proud ship with its own compass” that would continue to safeguard the Czech Republic’s freedom, democracy and rule of law.
On Wednesday, the Prague-based European Values Center for Security Policy said that it plans to open an office in Taiwan next year.
The move is a natural progression of the cooperation between Taiwan and the think tank to counter hostile Chinese forces, center executive director Jakub Janda said.
The center made the announcement on the opening day of the sixth Stratcom Summit, which it hosted in Prague alongside the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, a Brussels-based think tank.
The two-day summit focused on European responses to Russian disinformation and malign influence, policy options for countering Chinese “digital totalitarianism,” the costs of rising Chinese and Russian influence in Europe, and the effects of Chinese and Russian influence cooperation.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) delivered the opening address — titled “Foreign Meddling: Lessons Learned from Taiwan” — to the summit via video link.
Tseng shared Taiwan’s experience in countering foreign influence and how the nation as a democracy has staved off misinformation through immediate clarification and international cooperation.
While introducing Tseng, the European Values center said that Taiwan is “a great inspiration for Europe.”
“As a strong liberal democracy, it faces an existential threat from communist China. Taiwanese institutions have shown that they know how to defend their homeland in the face of pressure from Beijing, but the Taiwanese people need allied support,” it said.
The center called on other European countries to recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, and support its defense and security efforts, as it is “friendly, upholds fundamental human rights, possesses much knowledge to offer for defending the sovereignty of liberal democracies and does not use commercial interests as a means of political coercion.”
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old