Czech Chamber of Deputies dismisses Chinese criticism over planned Taiwan visit
Czech Chamber of Deputies dismisses Chinese criticism over planned Taiwan visit
2023-02-03
This week a historic phone call between President Tsai Ing-wen and the president-elect of the Czech Republic has thrust the two countries into the international spotlight. And developments continue. The speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies was recently condemned by China, after announcing that she was planning to lead a delegation to Taiwan next month. In a recent interview, the speaker has said that she will not back out from her plans, as Czechia will not allow others to tell it where representatives can or cannot go.
Czech Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Marketa Pekarova Adamova previously announced that she would be visiting Taiwan in March. In a recent television interview with media, she was asked to comment on China’s strong opposition to the visit, and whether she was really going to go.
Marketa Pekarova Adamova
Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies
Yes I will. We don’t want anyone to tell us where to go. Be it China or other people. My Taiwan trip has been in the works for many months, and I announced it a long time ago. We have no plans to make any changes.
China’s Foreign Ministry has decried the planned visit, saying that “China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between its Taiwan region and countries having diplomatic ties with China,” adding that it opposes any political manipulation using the “Taiwan question.” Still that has not deterred the Czech politician in the slightest.
Marketa Pekarova Adamova
Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies
It was completely expected, but their reaction will not change our decision.
Pekarova Adamova says her plan is to lead a delegation of scholars and business people to Taiwan. She says she is also very interested in learning more about Taiwan’s semiconductor industry.
Earlier this week, the President-elect of Czechia and Tsai Ing-wen captured headlines around the world after speaking on the phone. Observers took it as a major sign of warming relations between the two countries, as it was the first time that the leader-elect of a European country spoke directly with Taiwan’s president.
Tsai Shih-ying
ROC-Czech Parliamentary Amity Association
It’s very meaningful on several fronts. First of all, of course, it shows that democracies stand in unity, and that Taiwan and the Czech Republic are deeply democratic countries. It is an exchange between parliaments, so it is not affected by the Czech Republic’s “one China” policy.
Marc Cheng
European Union Centre in Taiwan
China always voices opposition to engagements with Taiwan conducted by countries, groups or individuals. It doesn’t matter if they are official exchanges, or unofficial. Their position is always opposition.
And Czechia is not the only European country to send a delegation to Taiwan. A delegation from Switzerland is expected to arrive this weekend.
中國批評不會改變決定 捷克眾院議長3月將訪台
2023-02-03
日前捷克總統當選人帕維爾剛，和總統蔡英文通話，讓中方爆氣，如今捷克眾議院議長艾達莫娃也宣布，將在3月底親自率團訪問台灣，他接受捷克媒體專訪時堅定的表示，不管是中國或其他人，’’我們不會讓任何人告訴我們應該去哪’，中國的批評不會改變我的決定。
捷克眾議院議長艾達莫娃宣布，3月將率團訪台，她日前接受當地媒體專訪，被問到出訪遭中國強力反對，她重砲回擊。
[[捷克眾議院議長 艾達莫娃]]
“(妳真的要去台灣嗎) 是的。我們不想讓任何人告訴我們該去哪裡，不管中國，或其他人都一樣，這次訪台行程已經籌備好幾個月，而且我很早就宣布，我們計畫沒有生變”
中國外交部，對此趟訪台行程氣得跳腳，強調’’堅決反對捷克和台灣進行任何形式官方往來、或藉台灣議題’’搞政治操弄’’，但依舊沒動搖艾達莫娃訪台意願。
[[捷克眾議院議長 艾達莫娃]]
“(不過這次的訪台行動 卻導致了中國的批評) 這完全都在預料中，但這並不會改變我們的決定”
艾達莫娃這回預計帶領學者和企業等龐大商業代表團來台，也透露對台灣半導體產業，非常有興趣。
而先前捷克總統當選人帕維爾，才剛和總統蔡英文進行電話會談，外界解讀這意義重大，因為是台灣元首首次和歐洲國家領導人直接對話，台捷友好關係的全面升級。
[[立法院捷克國會友好聯誼會副會長 蔡適應]]
“有象徵幾個重要的意義，第一個當然是代表民主價值同盟，台灣跟捷克都是民主深化的國家，再來因為他是國會的交流，其實也可以避免關於捷克的一個中國政策”
[[歐洲聯盟中心執行長 鄭家慶]]
“中國事實上一直對於任何國家、任何團體、任何人想跟台灣交往，不管是官方、民間、非官方，他們的立場，就是他們事實上是對於相關交流，他們會採取反制的措施”
不只捷克、瑞士國會友台小組也將訪台，台歐關係，持續升溫。
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