The donation of automated mask production lines by a local company to the Czech Republic is good cooperation, regardless of the channel goes through, a Czech Senate official said yesterday.
“We perceive the donation as a great help and expression of good cooperation between the two democratic and free countries,” Petr Kostka, director of the Secretariat of the President of the Czech Senate, wrote in response to the Central News Agency’s (CNA) questions.
It does not matter whether the donation is done business to business or government to government, Kostka said, referring to five automated mask production lines that Autoland Technology, a Tainan machinery manufacturer, had pledged to the Czech Republic.
Photo: CNA
Two of the lines were scheduled to ship to the central European country yesterday, Autoland general manager Kuo Li-lin (郭立霖) told a news conference in Taipei.
The government has been at odds with Autoland over the donation, saying that it should have been done government to government, but the company is donating it directly to a Czech business, citing local regulations and the complexity of the government’s approach.
The donation was one outcome of a six-day visit to Taiwan by a delegation from the Czech Republic, despite warnings from Beijing.
To show its appreciation of the Czech Republic’s support of Taiwan, Autoland pledged to donate the production lines before Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil and his delegation wrapped up their visit in early September.
Asked about the donation going directly to a business, Kostka said that it was an “economic, effective and speedy solution,” quoting an earlier statement made by Vystrcil.
“Who else but private subjects can quickly find a mode of cooperation and start production processes? In other words, the donation is what is important,” Kostka said.
“It is the fulfillment of one of the goals of the Senate president’s visit to Taiwan, together with a business delegation. The aim was to start, deepen and broaden the cooperation. It is clear that the business-to-business model is a success from this point of view,” he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that it planned to donate a separate production line to the Czech Republic, government to government, and Kostka confirmed that the Czech Senate was notified of the donation by Taiwan’s representative office in Prague.
The ministry’s donation is from Taipei to Prague, but the Czech Senate is willing to provide assistance if needed, Kostka said.
Kuo said that two other production lines would be shipped to businesses, while a third would be sent to a school, allowing collaboration between industry and academia.
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