Czech Chamber of Deputies Speaker Marketa Pekarova Adamova said that she expects her scheduled visit to Taiwan this month to bolster bilateral ties and deepen exchanges between the two countries.
The delegation that is to arrive on Saturday is expected to include more than 100 participants, and would be the largest of its kind from the Czech Republic to make an official visit to Taiwan.
Its members are to include technology sector leaders, researchers and members of government institutions, Adamova said in an interview.
Photo: Screenshot from Adamova’s Facebook page
The five-day trip is also to include the director of the Czech National Museum, who seeks to promote exchanges with museums in Taiwan, she added.
Adamova is also aiming to bolster cooperation in the semiconductor industry on behalf of her country and the rest of Europe, she said.
She said that direct flights between Prague and Taipei, which are to be launched soon, would be important to cooperation and tourism between the two countries.
“The distance between our countries is very huge,” she said, “At the same time, I think we can understand each other very well.”
Czech people know what it means to “fight for freedom and democracy,” Adamova said.
The recent election of Czech President Petr Pavel shows that the country is moving toward a new era, she added.
Former Czech president Milos Zeman was focused more on relations with China, and once visited the country for ideas on social stability, Adamova said.
“This was something incredible for us because we live in freedom and democracy,” she said, adding that she is a strong supporter of Pavel.
“As a free, democratic country, we support others who are standing behind the same values,” she said.
“We have so many common interests, there is no reason to stop this contact or not to maintain this contact,” Adamova said, addressing concerns that her visit could anger Beijing,
Adamova is scheduled to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), and has been invited to deliver a speech in the legislature.
A Czech official familiar with the matter said the 150-member delegation would include about 100 business leaders.
The official said that negotiating business agreements would be the aim of the trip, along with exchanges between academic institutions and museums.
“If there is an opportunity for military cooperation, it is not ruled out,” the person added.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it