[International] Czech Parliament Holds Taiwan-Czech Exchange Achievements Meeting, Urging to Seize Opportunities to Deepen Bilateral Cooperation
bellala 央廣5h agoEdited
The Czech House of Representatives held a meeting on the "Achievements of Czech-Taiwan Cooperation to Date" on the 18th, focusing on the results of Taiwan-Czech cooperation in politics, economy, trade, technology, and academia over the years. Attendees included Taiwan's Representative to the Czech Republic Chen Li-kuo, Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil, Chairman of the Parliamentary Group for Taiwan Marek Benda, former Speaker of the House Markéta Pekarová Adamová, and scholars from various fields, who shared their insights in person or remotely.
Chen Li-kuo: The Czech Republic is one of Taiwan's closest partners in Europe
Taiwan's Representative to the Czech Republic Chen Li-kuo stated in his speech: "Five years ago, many people talked about the 'potential' of Czech-Taiwan relations; today, we can proudly talk about 'achievements.'"
Chen Li-kuo reviewed the historical trajectory of bilateral relations in his speech. He pointed out that former Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib led a delegation to Taiwan in 2019 and decided to terminate the sister city agreement with Beijing's "One China Principle" political clause, signing a sister city agreement with Taipei instead.
Subsequently, Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil led a delegation to Taiwan in 2020, elevating Taiwan-Czech relations to a new height. Vystrčil's visit to Taiwan again earlier this month also led to several substantive achievements in Taiwan-Czech cooperation.
In terms of academia, Chen Li-kuo said that the number of Czech students studying in Taiwan has reached a historic high. The partnerships between universities in both countries in semiconductor technology, engineering, and information technology continue to expand. "The Czech Republic is one of Taiwan's closest partners in Europe."
Chen Li-kuo previously served as Director-General of the European Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Representative to the EU and Belgium, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, before being stationed in Prague as Taiwan's Representative to the Czech Republic. As a seasoned diplomat, he said he was fortunate to witness the evolution of bilateral relations from different positions.
He said: "I have witnessed our partnership become stronger. Although my perspective has changed with the years, one thing has remained constant and unwavering: the stable expansion of Taiwan-Czech cooperation."
Vystrčil Urges Czech Government to Deepen Cooperation with Taiwan, Avoid Missing Opportunities
Vystrčil led a delegation to Taiwan in early June and shared the fruitful results of this trip at the meeting. He pointed out that the visit achieved several substantive advances in parliamentary diplomacy, economy, trade, and academia, such as Taiwan increasing its investment fund by 50 million euros, and daily direct flights between Taiwan and the Czech Republic being realized in the future.
He mentioned that during this trip, he felt the "cross-party" warm welcome from both the ruling and opposition parties in Taiwan, and emotionally shared that the Taiwanese people on the return flight collectively applauded him in gratitude, "This respect is dedicated to the entire Czech Republic."
Vystrčil said that Taiwan is ready to regard the Czech Republic as a gateway to Europe, but business opportunities do not come out of thin air. He reminded the Czech government that there is an urgent need for an administrative team at the deputy minister level or above to engage and implement, otherwise neighboring countries like Poland or Hungary will随时 replace the Czech Republic's advantageous position and miss the opportunity to deepen cooperation with Taiwan.
Vystrčil emphasized that Taiwan is a free and democratic country, which, like the Czech Republic, has undergone a peaceful democratic transition. Deepening bilateral cooperation not only aligns with universal values but also serves the long-term interests of the Czech Republic. "The parliamentary diplomacy we have carried out in the Senate is correct," he expressed hope that all sectors of the Czech Republic will build consensus and deepen cooperation with Taiwan.
Benda Follows Father's Legacy to Support Taiwan: Supporting Ukraine is Supporting Taiwan
Chairman of the Czech Parliamentary Group for Taiwan, Marek Benda, delivered a remote speech via video. He revealed that his father had firmly told him that there were two distant countries in the world most worthy of in-depth cooperation: "Israel and Taiwan," and thus he has always inherited his father's belief.
Benda pointed out that Taiwan-Czech bilateral cooperation has achieved incredible breakthroughs in recent years, such as the fruitful results Vystrčil brought back from Taiwan in June. Furthermore, the "double taxation avoidance agreement," promoted by multiple governments, has also been passed across party lines, proving that cooperation with Taiwan is a consensus beyond party lines in the Czech Republic. Current Taiwan-Czech cooperation has also extended to highly sensitive industries such as "defense and drone manufacturing."
Benda also mentioned the Russia-Ukraine war, stating: "The battle taking place in Kyiv is also a battle for Taipei. How the international order is defined and whether great powers are allowed to bully smaller neighboring countries will determine Taiwan's future. Taiwan's choice to strongly aid Ukraine proves that Taiwan fully understands this. Supporting Ukraine is supporting Taiwan!"
Adamová Clarifies Two Major Czech Political Myths, Defends Taiwan-Czech Economic and Trade Cooperation
Former Speaker of the Czech House of Representatives Markéta Pekarová Adamová affirmed Taiwan's long-term investment in the Czech Republic and, using official economic facts and market data, refuted domestic pro-China political propaganda and false statements, debunking the two major political myths of "missing TSMC" and "Chinese market punishment."
Adamová pointed out that negotiations for the layout of international semiconductor giants are extremely lengthy. The critical evaluation period for TSMC's Dresden plant was already determined during the previous government led by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Moreover, Germany offered astronomical subsidies exceeding billions of euros for this, which was unrealistic for the Czech Republic facing budget challenges, and the Czech Republic at that time also lacked a complete semiconductor ecosystem and talent.
Regarding the statement that "being friendly with Taiwan has led to Czech enterprises losing everything in China," Adamová cited the example of the iconic car manufacturer "Škoda" gradually withdrawing from China, emphasizing that Škoda's decision was entirely due to the "extremely fierce" commercial reality in the Chinese market, leading it to turn to India and Southeast Asia. This was purely a rational economic choice and had nothing to do with the Czech Republic's policy towards Taiwan.
She called on the public to see the facts clearly and to value the substantive investments with high added value and future-oriented brought by Taiwan. (Editor: Liu Xianghua)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215603
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