Taiwanese media are reporting on the ongoing visit to Taiwan by the Czech Chamber of Deputies chairwoman Marketa Pekarova Adamova, the local CNA agency pointing out the size of the 150-strong Czech delegation and recalling that Pekarova will meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday.
The Chinese embassy in Prague has sharply condemned Pekarova’s trip.
The Taipei Times web writes that during her five-day visit, which started on Saturday, Pekarova is to sign a joint statement of legislative cooperation, and will give a speech in Taiwanese parliament on Tuesday.
Citing its source, Taipei Times writes that on the tour of Taiwan, which China considers its province, Pekarova will be for four days accompanied by her counterpart, the Taiwanese parliament speaker You Si-kun.
Her Tuesday speech in Taiwanese parliament will „be the first time a female leader of a legislature of a country with no formal ties with Taiwan has done so,“ the web writes.
The joint statement of legislative cooperation, too, will be the first the Taiwanese legislature would sign with a legislature of a country that does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it writes.
The ceremonial signing is expected on Wednesday, Taipei Times adds, citing its sources.
Condemning Pekarova’s visit to Taiwan, the Chinese embassy in Prague has written on its website that China always stands up resolutely against any form of official contacts between Taipei and the countries that have diplomatic relations with China.
„The chairwoman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, Marketa Pekarova Adamova, insisted on her so called visit to Taiwan, seriously harmed the Czech Republic’s commitment to respect the One China policy and deliberately harmed the political basis of Chinese-Czech relations,“ the embassy wrote.
„There exists only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory. The government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing whole China,“ the embassy wrote and called on Czechia to observe the One China principle.
CNA has quoted the statements Pekarova Adamova made on arrival in Taiwan.
„The Czech Republic and Taiwan are separated by a great distance, but they share the same basic values, and that is why the Czech Republic will stand with Taiwan,“ she is quoted as saying.
She said she wanted Taiwan’s people to know that Taiwan is not isolated and that it has many friends in the international community, „one of whom has just arrived,“ CNA reports.
It also quotes Pekarova as saying that the visiting Czech delegation was the largest in the history of Taiwan-Czechia relations and the largest of any Czech delegation traveling overseas over the past five years.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said, cited by CNA, that Adamova’s visit came amid China’s warnings and is a testament to the firm friendship between Taiwan and the Czech Republic.
(ČTK, 26.3.)