China dispute deepens as Prague mayor plans Taiwan trip

Bloomberg

The mayor of Prague will travel to Taiwan to meet President Tsai Ing-wen, deepening a rift between Beijing and politicians in a country once seen as one of the most China-friendly in Europe.
Zdenek Hrib, who ignited outrage in China last year when he cancelled a sister-city agreement between Shanghai and the Czech capital, will accompany Senate leader Milos Vystrcil in a 90-strong delegation to Taiwan starting from August 29. “I’m honoured to be invited to be part of the trip to Taiwan,” Hrib wrote on Facebook. “I’ll meet with the representatives of Taipei, our partner city.”
Since becoming mayor of Prague more than two years ago, Hrib has irked China by meeting dissidents, criticising its treatment of ethnic minorities and promoting ties with Taiwan. Before he took over in 2018 Prague’s position towards China had been aligned with the Czechs’ official diplomatic stance, focused on economic ties.
Hrib’s moves have prompted angry protests by China, and the Shanghai municipal government severed economic ties with Prague after he entered the partnership with Taipei.
Vystrcil has branded his own decision to lead the delegation as a symbol of defiance against what he calls China’s effort to meddle in Czech politics. The government in Beijing, which considers democratically run Taiwan a breakaway province, has denounced the visit.
“We oppose certain countries’ official ties with Taiwan in whatever form,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing. “The Chinese nation’s renewal and the reunification across the Taiwan Strait is a historical must, and attempts to reverse this trend will fail.”
Both Hrib and Vystrcil are among Czech politicians whose anti-China stance clashes with the approach of some of the national leadership. President Milos Zeman is an enthusiastic promoter of Chinese investment in Europe, while the Foreign Ministry has refused to get involved.
Vystrcil was expected to meet with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, who’s on a tour of central European countries that have agreed with the US to limit access to companies in technology projects that pose security risks. The pacts are seen as a way to prevent Chinese technology firms, including Huawei Technologies Co, from taking part in the creation of 5G networks.