The President of the Senate of the Czech Parliament, Miloš Vystrčil, will fly to Taiwan on Sunday morning. Despite the fact that the government did not provide him with a special ticket, a delegation of businessmen and academics will also fly with him on the commercial line. Výstříl announced this on Thursday, saying that he has scheduled meetings with the highest political representatives of the island state. At the same time, he objected to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s accusations that Czech companies lost business in China because of the trips of some politicians to Taiwan, reports the TASR reporter.
In short:
- Senate President Miloš Vystrčil will fly to Taiwan on Sunday morning
- He is traveling to Taiwan on a commercial line together with a delegation of businessmen and academics
- During his stay, he will meet with the Taiwanese president, vice president and ministers
Vystrčil visits the island at the invitation of the Chairman of the Legislative Court (Parliament). He will meet the president, vice president and several ministers. According to him, business will also be an essential part of the trip, and Václav Havel’s bench will also be unveiled as part of the visit. The Czech delegation will be on the island until June 4.
Importance of Taiwanese investment
The head of the Senate emphasized that his trip in 2020, followed three years later by the visit of the then Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová and other activities, led to a significant increase in mutual trade between the Czech Republic and Taiwan and significant Taiwanese investments. Thanks to them, according to Vystrčil, almost 25,000 jobs were created in the Czech Republic and mutual trade is at a high technological level.
“It is something completely different from, for example, importing T-shirts from the People’s Republic of China (PRC),” he pointed out. He added that he has nothing against trade between the Czech Republic and China, but it must be based on equal and mutually beneficial conditions. “It cannot be based on the fact that one is a lackey – which is the Czech Republic – and the other manages and says what will and will not happen,” he explained.
Czech-Chinese trade controversies
In the past, the trips of Czech politicians to Taiwan were repeatedly criticized by Beijing. Babiš recently declared that the former Czech government destroyed Czech business in China with its “value policy” and contacts with Taiwan. The head of Czech diplomacy, Petr Macinka, announced at the beginning of the year that he wants to return relations with Beijing to a standard level.
He defended himself against Babiš’s accusations. He pointed out that, for example, Škoda started selling fewer and fewer cars in China even before Czech politicians started traveling to Taiwan. “I am very sorry for the statements of the Prime Minister. And as for his interest in the PRC, I am very curious how it will develop,” he added, adding that it is not easy to gain a foothold in the Chinese market, as there are very difficult conditions for smaller companies.
Road rejected by government special
The President of the Senate wanted to complete the current trip by government special, but Babiš’s cabinet did not provide him with one. He strongly criticized this decision and called it a betrayal. He will therefore fly to the island on a commercial line.
