Czech Senate president invokes Kennedy, says he's 'a Taiwanese'
ROC Central News Agency
09/01/2020 02:51 PM
Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) Visiting Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil praised Taiwan's democracy and freedom in a speech at the Legislature on Tuesday and invoked John F. Kennedy's "I am a Berliner" speech by calling himself "a Taiwanese."
Toward the end of his remarks, in which he highlighted the importance of democratic values and freedom and voiced criticism of communism and oppressive regimes, Vystrčil brought up Kennedy's speech in West Berlin in 1963.
"Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free," Vystrčil said, quoting Kennedy's morale-boosting words for Berliners who lived in an enclave deep inside East Germany and feared a possible East German occupation.
In the famous Cold War speech, Kennedy raised his voice in support of West Berlin, highlighting the universal value of democracy with an end note "Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner)," Vystrčil said.
"Please let me also express in person my support to Taiwan and the ultimate value of freedom and conclude today's speech at your Legislative Yuan in Taiwan with perhaps a more humble, but equally strong statement," Vystrčil said, ending his remarks with "I am a Taiwanese" in Mandarin.
Vystrčil, the second highest ranking official of the Czech Republic after the president, is in Taiwan as part of an 89-member delegation to promote business ties.
The visit reflects growing anti-China sentiment in the Czech Republic as Chinese investment plans have not come to fruition, and local officials, such as Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib, balk at closer ties with China because of its heavy-handed tactics.
In an interview with Taiwanese media, Vystrčil said the trip itself was an act of defiance against China's interference in the Czech Republic's internal affairs and a reaffirmation of the country's sovereignty and independence.
China has been threatening repercussions against the Czech Republic since Vystrčil's predecessor, Jaroslav Kubera, announced in October last year his plan to visit Taiwan. Kubera died in January before making the trip.
"In a democratic world, we should not follow orders from other countries, especially from a country that is not democratic," he said.
As Czechoslovakia, the country itself was also under a communist regime during the Cold War, and its push for political liberalization and reforms during the Prague Spring in 1968 was suppressed by an invasion of Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact country forces.
During his 30-minute speech, Vystrčil emphasized the importance of legislatures in standing up for freedom and democracy.
He said that while legislative bodies in different countries have different systems, their most important role is not only to make laws but to defend democratic principles.
Regardless of democratic parliaments or legislative courts, they should serve in the defense of democratic principles, he said.
It is those principles that protect people and allow them to demonstrate their various points of view in a society where freedom is fully recognized and cherished by members of the public, he said.
"Functional democracy in the independent and democratic world must acknowledge that a human being and a human life has the highest, and I repeat, the highest value," he said.
That was seen, he said, when his trip to Taiwan received the support of 50 out of 52 Czech senators who were present for the vote, despite China's threats.
Vystrčil's speech drew a standing ovation from Taiwan's lawmakers, including Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃).
You also presented Vystrčil with a Congressional Diplomacy Honorary Medal from the Legislature, making him the first legislative head from a country with which Taiwan has no diplomatic relations to receive the honor since it was created in 2007.
The Czech delegation arrived in Taipei on Aug. 30, and will stay in Taiwan until Sept. 4.
To welcome them, the Legislature set up an exhibition featuring the history and democratic development of the Czech Republic, including on the Prague Spring.
The delegation's visit has been strongly condemned by China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes any official contact that could be seen as elevating Taiwan's status as an independent nation.
China's foreign minister Wang Yi said Monday in Germany that China will make Vystrčil "pay a heavy price for his shortsighted behavior and political opportunism," without specifying what measures might be taken.
(By Lee Hsin-Yin)
Enditem/ls
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
