Taiwan and the Czech Republic, as free and democratic countries, should support each other and boost bilateral cooperation, Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil said in an interview with the Central News Agency published on Friday ahead of his upcoming visit to Taiwan.
Vystrcil is scheduled to lead a delegation of about 40 people on a visit to Taiwan from tomorrow until Thursday, his second trip to the country since he first visited in August 2020.
Vystrcil said the primary goal of the trip was to demonstrate mutual support between the two sides and help strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation on the political and people-to-people levels.
Photo: CNA
During the visit, he is scheduled to meet with senior Taiwanese officials and attend a series of events, including a symposium on former Czech president Vaclav Havel at National Chengchi University, the unveiling of a “Havel’s Bench” installation at Taipei’s Daan Forest Park (大安森林公園) and a screening of the documentary Jsem Tchajwanec (I am Taiwanese), which chronicles his 2020 trip to Taiwan.
Havel, the Czech Republic’s first president, was a dissident who played a prominent role in the movement in the late 1980s against communist rule, and became a symbol of resistance to authoritarianism and an advocate for freedom and democracy.
Vystrcil said the events carry important symbolic significance, as they not only commemorate Havel’s legacy, but also reflect the shared values of Taiwan and the Czech Republic as democratic societies.
Since his previous visit, cooperation between the two sides has continued to deepen, with a range of business and academic projects taking shape, including supply chain research, semiconductor technology cooperation, the establishment of research centers and student exchange programs, Vystrcil said.
Asked if China could exert pressure over the visit, he said that the Czech Republic would not bow to such pressure, adding that the visit was in the interests of his nation.
Bilateral trade between the two sides has risen significantly in the past few years, while Taiwanese investment in the country has also increased, he said.
Vystrcil also recently met with Taiwanese companies operating in the Czech Republic, including CTi Europe s.r.o. and Foxconn, he said, adding that investment projects were continuing to advance.
Taiwan has created nearly 25,000 jobs in the Czech Republic, with the results showing that the bilateral relationship has delivered tangible economic benefits rather than being purely political, he said.
However, his planned Taiwan trip has also sparked debate in Czech politics.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who was elected late last year, said he would not provide a government aircraft for the trip, saying he did not want it to be seen as an official endorsement that could harm Czech business interests in China.
At a Czech Senate news conference earlier this week, Vystrcil said he did not oppose economic and trade ties with China, but said they must be based on equality and mutual benefit, warning against turning trade relations into one-sided dependence.
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