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TAIPEI: The president of the Czech Senate declared himself Taiwanese in a speech in Taiwan’s parliament on Tuesday, channeling the late US President John F. Kennedy’s challenge to communism in Berlin in 1963, in comments likely to further irritate Beijing.
China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has threatened to make the president of the Czech Senate, Milos Vystrcil, pay a “high price” for visiting the island.
The Czech Republic, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Addressing the Taiwanese parliament, Vystrcil, who leads a delegation of about 90 politicians and business executives, said Kennedy’s declaration that he was a Berliner was an important message for freedom and against communism.
“Let me also express in person my support for Taiwan and the ultimate value of freedom and conclude today’s speech … with a perhaps more humble, but equally strong statement: ‘I am Taiwanese,'” Vystrcil said, receiving a standing ovation.
Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in 1963, in which he told the frightened people of West Berlin who were surrounded on all sides by communist East Berlin that he too was a Berliner, is a speech often called the best of Kennedy.
Vystrcil has said that his visit to Taiwan underscores the “values-based” foreign policy pursued by the late President Vaclav Havel, an anti-communist dissident and personal friend of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.
While the Czech government has not supported his visit, it has been upset by the strong condemnation of China and has summoned the Chinese ambassador.
Beijing also summoned the Czech ambassador on Monday for a reprimand.
Czech President Milos Zeman has sought closer business and political ties with China since taking office in 2013, but his efforts have been hampered by failed investment plans and Czech hesitation over allowing China’s Huawei Technologies to play a role. role in the development of next generation telecommunications networks.
