Czech parliamentarian Marek Benda, head of a four-member delegation visiting Taiwan, yesterday criticized China’s military intimidation in the Taiwan Strait and thanked Taipei for supporting Ukraine.
Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are not merely issues between Taiwan and China, but affect the security of shipping routes throughout Southeast Asia, Benda said at a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei.
The visiting group “categorically rejects” military intimidation from the People’s Republic of China in the region, said Benda, a member of the Czech Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies and chairman of the body’s Taiwan friendship group.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan and the Czech Republic have worked to preserve democracy and respect human rights under the shadow of “a big brother,” Benda said, likely alluding to China and Russia, and he thanked Taipei for standing in solidarity with Ukrainians as they continue to fight Russian troops.
Bilateral relations between Taiwan and the Czech Republic would be further enhanced through exchanges in the semiconductor and cultural sectors, he added.
Mutually beneficial economic cooperation is critical to bilateral ties, as Czech businesses are eager to be part of global semiconductor supply chains, Benda said.
Lai said he looked forward to more collaboration between the two sides on semiconductors, information security and culture, among other fields.
The president highlighted some of the joint efforts initiated in recent years, such as the establishment of the Czech Center Taipei in June and the launch of direct flights between Taipei and Prague last year.
Partly funded by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Czech Center Taipei is a cultural institute tasked with promoting Czech culture and bolstering cultural ties between the two nations.
Joining Benda at the meeting were three other Czech parliamentarians — Civic Democratic Party Vice Chairwoman Eva Decroix, Jakub Michalek of the Czech Pirate Party and Jan Jakob of the TOP 09 party, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
In related news, the first group of Danish parliamentarians visiting Taiwan since the COVID-19 outbreak voiced its support for Taiwan on the international stage as it was welcomed on Monday by National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮).
The visiting delegation is led by former Danish Parliamentary speaker Pia Kjarsgaard, who is also the head of the Danish parliament’s Taiwan Friendship Association, the council said in a press release.
The group’s visit is a concrete show of support to Taiwan amid rising Chinese military coercion, Wu said.
He also highlighted the universal values of democracy and human rights shared by Taiwan and Denmark and called for closer exchanges on economic and trade issues and renewable, green energy, the press release said.
Kjarsgaard said at the meeting that she was making her ninth visit to Taiwan since she first set foot in Taiwan in 1987 and has felt honored to witness its transformation into an open society, in sharp contrast with China, the press release said.
Taiwan is standing on the front line of authoritarian expansion, facing daily threats from China, Kjarsgaard said, which is why she was leading the cross-party delegation to Taiwan to show support.
She also praised Taiwan’s expertise in the technology, energy and public health fields, and said its participation in international organizations was beneficial to the world, the press release said.
Kjarsgaard served as speaker of the Danish parliament from 2015 to 2019. She is also the former leader of the Danish People’s Party.
Other members of the delegation include Mikkel Bjorn of the Danish People’s Party, Steffen Larsen of the Liberal Alliance, Kim Aas of the Social Democrats and Henrik Thorup, an adviser to the Danish People’s Party.
The last time a Danish parliamentarary group visited Taiwan was in 2019, also led by Kjarsgaard.
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