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BEIJING: Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil “will pay a high price” for making an official trip to Taiwan, the top Chinese government diplomat said on Monday (August 31), in a warning ignored by Vystrcil, who said that he was not looking for a political confrontation. .
Vystrcil arrived in Taipei on Sunday on a visit to promote trade ties with Taiwan and said the Czech Republic would not give in to Beijing’s objections.
Speaking in Germany, Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi said there would be retaliation.
“The Chinese government and the Chinese people will not adopt a laissez-faire attitude or sit idly by, and will make them pay a high price for their shortsighted behavior and political opportunism,” Wang said, citing the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Wang said that defying the one-China principle amounts to “becoming the enemy of 1.4 billion Chinese”, and that the Chinese government and people will not tolerate such “open provocation” from Vystrcil and the anti-China forces behind him.
He did not elaborate on exactly how Beijing would react.
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The one-China principle refers to China and Taiwan, both belonging to “one China,” a position that Beijing requires all countries with which it has diplomatic relations to comply.
China considers Taiwan to be a separatist province ineligible for state-to-state relations.
Vystrcil said in a statement that Wang’s comments were interference in the internal affairs of the Czech Republic.
“We are a free country that seeks to have good relations with all countries and I believe this will be the case in the future, regardless of the Minister’s statement. And let me repeat it again: this visit is not intended to politically confront anyone,” he said.
Taiwan’s Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua declined to comment directly on China’s attack on Vystrcil, but said the two have a lot in common.
“The Czech Republic and Taiwan are free and democratic countries that attach great importance to human rights. We have the same values as the Czechs,” he told reporters, speaking before a joint business forum with Vystrcil.
He will later meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and address the Taiwanese parliament before leaving on Friday.
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.
