The Czech Republic supports Taiwan’s international participation and is determined to consolidate long-term cooperation with the nation, Czech Chamber of Deputies Speaker Marketa Pekarova Adamova said yesterday during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
Adamova is leading a 160-member delegation on a five-day visit to Taiwan until tomorrow to “show support for Taiwan’s democracy,” she said.
The Czech Republic is looking to expand and deepen cooperation with Taiwan to bring benefits to both sides as well as third parties, she added.
Photo: CNA
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Czech Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, celebrating close and stable relations between the two nations, Adamova said.
Taiwan is the Czech Republic’s priority democratic partner in Asia, she said, adding that “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the necessary condition for security and prosperity in the world.”
She voiced support for Taiwan’s efforts to join the WHO, the International Civil Aviation Organization and other international bodies, as the nation “has the right to share its expertise and learn from other countries.”
Shared values, most importantly freedom, democracy and human rights, can help the two nations withstand pressure from the outside, Adamova said.
She said she was delighted by the news that China Airlines Ltd (中華航空) would offer twice-weekly direct flights between Taiwan and Prague starting in July, adding that the route would be beneficial to both nations.
Tsai thanked Adamova for visiting Taiwan despite ongoing pressure from China, calling the trip “an important milestone for the Taiwan-Czech relationship.”
After speaking on the telephone with Czech President Petr Pavel, the two leaders believe that Taiwan and the Czech Republic can boost cooperation in all fields based on their friendly ties, she said.
Many Taiwanese businesses have shown an interest in investing in the Czech Republic after the Central and Eastern Europe Investment Fund was established last year, which indicates that more cooperation between the two sides can be expected, she added.
In related news, the Czech Hub in Taiwan opened yesterday to promote cooperation between companies, academic institutions, start-ups, cultural institutions and non-governmental organizations in Taiwan and the Czech Republic.
The hub, which was established by the European Values Center for Security Policy Taiwan Office and the Czech-Taiwanese Business Chamber with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, would serve as a platform for Czech and Taiwanese partners in various fields, Adamova said at the opening ceremony.
The Czech Republic “would like to become Taiwan’s best friend in Europe,” she said, calling on other nations to set up similar hubs in Taiwan to boost ties with the nation.
As European nations are seeking to reduce their reliance on Beijing, working with Taiwan, a democratic nation with a free market, has become an attractive option, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roy Lee (李淳) said.
While breakthroughs in official relations between Taiwan and European nations are difficult to predict, there would be more opportunities for Europe to deepen and broaden cooperation with Taiwan, he said.
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
MEET AND GREET: The White House, which called the interaction ‘just a handshake,’ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Biden planned to visit Taiwan’s envoy to the APEC summit, Lin Hsin-i (林信義), on Friday invited US President Joe Biden to visit Taiwan. During the APEC Leaders’ Informal Dialogue, Lin, who represented President William Lai (賴清德) at the summit, spoke with Biden and expressed gratitude to the outgoing US president for his contribution to improving bilateral ties between Taipei and Washington over the past four years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Lin and Biden exchanged views during the conversation, with Lin extending an invitation to Biden to visit Taiwan, it said. Biden is to step down in January next year, when US president-elect Donald Trump is
RSS