Taiwan: Czech Republic president-elect elevates ties

Taiwan and the Czech Republic may not have formal diplomatic ties, but a series of diplomatic breakthroughs this week seems to suggest that the new government in Prague under the leadership of president-elect Petr Pavel is ready to bring the bilateral relationship to the next level, even if it means angering China.

Pavel, a former NATO general, held a 15-minute phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wenon Monday, in which they expressed the desire to further strengthen the bilateral relationship. The incoming Czech leader even proposed an in-person meeting. The call follows a series of visits by high-level government officials and lawmakers from both sides since 2020.

"The call is a continuation of increased political ties between Taiwan and the Czech Republic," said Jakub Janda, director of the European Values Center for Security Policy (EVC) based in Prague. "What the president-elect did is taking the engagement with Taiwan a bit further."

Other analysts say Pavel's move is also a departure from current Czech President Milos Zeman's pro-China foreign policy. "Pavel signaled his intentions to direct foreign policy differently to the current President Zeman, who has been a staunch proponent of 'pragmatic economic diplomacy' mostly towards China and Russia," said Ivana Karaskova, founder of China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe.

"He went so far as saying 'yes' to a journalist's question at one of the pre-election interviews asking whether he would visit Taiwan if elected as president. The call is not merely symbolic, but carries a genuine interest in Taiwan and its position in the international arena," she told DW.

Beijing lashes out at Prague

A day after the unprecedented phone call between Pavel and Tsai, China criticized the move, saying that the call is "a serious interference in China's internal affairs," especially after Beijing tried to discuss the matter with Pavel, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. "We urge the Czech Republic to take immediate and effective measures to correct the wrongdoing, undo the negative impact of this incident and credibly abide by the 'one-China principle.'"

Despite Beijing's dissatisfaction, Pavel defended his call with Tsai in an interview with DW, saying that there is no reason why the relationship between Taiwan and the Czech Republic should be reduced as it doesn't affect Prague's foreign policy principles toward China. But on Tuesday, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala reiterated that Prague upholds its "one-China policy" despite maintaining a good relationship with Taiwan.

Even though the president mostly has ceremonial power in the Czech political system, Janda from EVC told DW that in the current political context, the president can be very visible in foreign policy. "What this means is that the president-elect will be more hawkish than the government on issues like engaging with Taiwan or standing up to Chinese pressure," he said, adding that the Czech government may be a bit more cautious.

China's balancing act

While Janda thinks China may decide to freeze the contacts of some Czech companies in China or pressure other European companies from dropping Czech contractors, Beijing's diplomatic charm offensive toward European countries in recent months may limit the Chinese government's options to retaliate against Prague.

"China is trying to pivot away from the 'wolf warrior diplomacy,' and improve their reputation that has suffered some damage in recent years," he told DW. "So if they try to attack the Czech Republic, which means an attack on the EU internal market, that will basically contradict China's current foreign policy approach. I think both options to launch a retaliation are bad for Beijing."

How can Taiwan benefit from the momentum?

Apart from promising to strengthen cooperation with Prague in semiconductor design and training talents for cutting-edge technologies, Tsai also said she would encourage Taiwanese companies to treat the Czech Republic as a base in Central and Eastern Europe. Janda from EVC points out that both sides are also exploring cooperation in the security sector.

"The effort by many people in Prague is to allow the Czech government to conduct more security cooperation, including intelligence sharing on China and military assistance with Taiwan, in the future," he told DW, adding that if both sides agree on the acquisition of weapons in the future, such cooperation will need political support since the export licensing for any weapon system to Taiwan will require approval from the Czech government.

Some experts think it's crucial for Taiwan to focus on areas of possible cooperation that can further increase its visibility in the Czech Republic. "Taiwan needs to have a thorough understanding of what the Czech Republic's needs are and jointly build a strategy on what areas the two sides can realistically deliver," said Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, an assistant professor at National Dong Hwa University in Taiwan and a former political adviser to the European Parliament.

"That would signal to the business sector that they can expect opportunities on the horizon. It's crucial that Taiwan uses this momentum and continues to build on it," she told DW.

Kolas Yotaka, the spokesperson for Taiwan's presidential office, emphasizes that trade and economy are the areas in which Taiwan hopes to see progress in its bilateral relationship with the Czech Republic. "We are pragmatic and know that the economy is important for every country," she told DW, adding that promoting economic development of all kinds in a democratic context is the key to building trust and reciprocity.

Czech parliament speaker: 'Respect human rights and democracy'

During a call with Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu on Wednesday, the speaker of the Czech parliament's lower house, Marketa Pekarova Adamova, revealed that she plans to visit Taiwan next month. "I assured the minister that systematic support of partners who respect human rights and the principles of liberal democracy belongs among priorities of our parliamentary diplomacy," she said in a statement.

Ferenczy from the National Dong Hwa University adds that as countries in Central and Eastern Europe gradually form a shared feeling that China is becoming an unreliable partner, Taiwan has proven itself to be a like-minded partner throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With such a perception emerging among some countries in the region, she thinks the Chinese government should expect the Czech Republic to engage with Taiwan in a clearer and firmer way. "It's accurate to say that across the Czech Republic, there is a growing interest and readiness to talk about Taiwan," she said.

Edited by: John Silk

Every Friday, DW Asia editors put together a collection of the week’s best stories from around the continent. You can sign up here for the weekly DW Asia newsletter.