Czech Republic–Taiwan relations
Map indicating locations of Czech and Taiwan

Czech Republic
Taiwan
Diplomatic mission
Czech Economic and Cultural OfficeTaipei Economic and Cultural Office, Prague
Envoy
Head of Office David SteinkeRepresentative Liang-ruey Ke

The Czech Republic and Taiwan (officially the Republic of China, shortly ROC) maintain strong unofficial relations.

In the absence of official diplomatic relations, the Czech Republic is represented by the Czech Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, and Taiwan by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Prague.

Economy

Entrance of the Foxconn CZ plant in Pardubice

Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn runs its largest European operations in the Czech Republic, the company's European Union (EU) hub.[1] The subsidiary, named Foxconn CZ, is by profit one of largest companies in the Czech Republic.[2]

In August 2020, Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil traveled to Taiwan on an official visit to "promote business links" between the two countries.[3]

Prague–Taipei relations

Mayor of Prague Zdeněk Hřib and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan Joseph Wu on 1 April 2019

Although diplomatic relations between Czechoslovakia and Japan was established in 1919, Taiwan was a colonial dependency of Japan.[4] Czech architect Antonin Raymond was the honorary consul for the First Czechoslovak Republic in Japan from 1926 until 1939, representing the government of T. G. Masaryk.[5] The relations were broken off during World War II from 1939.[6] During that period, there was no diplomatic consular representation in Taihoku.

In August 1968, the ROC (then an internationally recognized entity of “China”) was among the ten members of the United Nations Security Council to condemn the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia led by the Soviet Union, the latter of whom opposed the resolution.

In 2019, Czech Republic–Taiwan relations warmed when the Prague city council under Mayor Zdeněk Hřib voted to cancel sister city relations with Beijing due to the unwillingness of Beijing to renegotiate the inclusion of a One-China policy clause. While respecting the policy itself, Prague deemed inappropriate to express national policy in a sister city agreement.[7][8] On January 13 2020, Prague and Taipei became sister cities.[9]

Diplomat exchanges

Jaroslav Kubera, President of the Senate of the Czech Republic, planned a visit to Taipei prior to his death, prompting threats of retaliation from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[10] Kubera's successor, Miloš Vystrčil, however, led a delegation to Taiwan that arrived in Taipei on August 31, 2020. While there, Vystrčil gave a speech, declaring "I am a Taiwanese," echoing John F. Kennedy's famous "I am a Berliner" speech. The People's Republic of China said that Vystrčil would "pay a heavy price" for visiting what it considers to be a renegade province. Meanwhile, the President of the Czech Republic said of the trip that “I consider it boyish provocation.”[11]

In late October 2021, Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu received a medal from the President of the Czech Senate Miloš Vystrčil.[12]

Ties were deepened after the election of President Petr Pavel in 2023.[13] In March a 150 member delegation headed by Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová visited Taiwan.[14] In June Hsu Tzong-li, the President of Taiwan's Judicial Yuan, visited the Czech Republic and met with his counterpart Pavel Rychetsky, the President of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic.[15]

Health

In March 2020, the Czech Republic and Taiwan signed an official partnership to fight COVID-19, the first such agreement signed by Taiwan.[16]

In April 2021, Taiwan's foreign ministry thanked the Czech Republic for supporting Taiwan's bid to participate in World Health Assembly. The Czech Senate unanimously passed a resolution calling for Taiwan to take part in all divisions of the World Health Organization. It's the first time such a motion has progressed in a legislative chamber in the country.[17]

After the 2021 South Moravia tornado, Taiwan donated 6.5 million Czech koruna to the affected villages.[18]

In August 2021, Taiwan received 30,000 doses of Moderna vaccine donated by Czech Republic.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Made in the EU: Foxconn in the Czech Republic
  2. ↑ "Foxconn v ČR". Archived from the original on 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  3. ↑ "Czech Senate speaker leaves for Taiwan visit, angering China". Reuters. 29 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Japan-Czech Republic Relations (Overview)".
  5. ↑ Reynolds, (2001), p81
  6. ↑ "Establishing of Diplomatic Relations and Interwar Development | Embassy of the Czech Republic in Tokyo". Mzv.cz. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  7. ↑ Prague vs. Beijing: Estranged Sister Cities Archived 2020-02-29 at the Wayback Machine. The Diplomat. Manuel Eckert and Richard Q. Turcsányi. October 08, 2019.
  8. ↑ Prague city council moves to axe partnership with Beijing Archived 2019-12-11 at the Wayback Machine. Reuters. OCTOBER 7, 2019.
  9. ↑ Taipei's Sister Cities "'Taipei's Sister Cities'". Retrieved 2024-01-14..
  10. ↑ Satter, Raphael; Carey, Nick (February 19, 2020). Gopalakrishnan, Raju; Popper, Helen (eds.). "China threatened to harm Czech companies over Taiwan visit: letter". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Czech president tries to tamp down China anger after speaker's Taiwan trip". Reuters. 2020-09-06. Archived from the original on 2020-09-08. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
  12. ↑ "Taiwan's foreign minister to visit Slovakia, Czech Republic - Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  13. ↑ Yang, William. "Taiwan: Czech Republic president-elect elevates ties". dw.com. DW. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  14. ↑ "Taiwan welcomes Czech delegation after Honduras shifts allegiance". aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  15. ↑ Strong, Matthew. "Taiwan top judiciary official visits Czech Republic". taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  16. ↑ Hutt, David. "Taiwan sees doors open in Europe as virus response earns respect". asia.nikkei.com. Nikkei Asian Review. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "Foreign Ministry thanks Czech Republic for support". RTI Radio Taiwan International (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  18. ↑ "Tchaj-wan daroval moravských obcím poničeným tornádem 6,5 milionu korun - Seznam Zprávy". Seznam Zprávy. Archived from the original on 2021-07-14. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  19. ↑ "Taiwan receives 30,000 Moderna doses donated by Czech Republic - Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-09-03.
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