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Taiwan praises Vystrčil for standing up to China's 'bullying'

ROC Central News Agency

09/10/2020 03:33 PM

Taipei, Sept. 10 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Thursday lauded the political courage of Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil in the face of pressure from the Chinese government due to his recent visit to Taiwan.

At a press conference, MOFA spokesperson Joanne Ou (歐江安) said Taiwan does not want to amplify China's threats and coercions against Vystrčil because doing so will only help propagate Beijing's hegemonic behavior.

"Instead, we should focus on Vystrčil's political courage in the face of such bullying," she said. "We saw human dignity and the spirit of the 1989 Velvet Revolution in Vystrčil before, during and after his visit."

Vystrčil visited Taiwan Aug. 30 to Sept. 4 at the head of an 89-member delegation, defying stern warnings from Beijing, which sees Taiwan as its territory and opposes any official contact that could elevate Taiwan's status as a sovereign nation.

On Aug. 31, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅), who was in Germany on a five-nation diplomatic tour at the time, said Vystrčil would pay a "heavy price" for visiting Taiwan.

Four days later, Vystrčil told CNA in an exclusive interview that Wang's threat was scary, but he said courage is about overcoming fear and worry.

In another interview with CNA prior to his arrival in Taiwan, Vystrčil also stressed the importance of values, such as democracy and freedom, over money.

On Sept. 4, a Czech piano manufacturer told the media that a Chinese customer had canceled an order, worth 5.3 million koruna (US$237,000), because of Vystrčil's visit to Taiwan.

According to media reports, Czech billionaire Karel Komarek has since bought the 11 pianos that the Chinese customer rejected, and the instruments will donated to schools in Czechia.

Responding to reporters' questions Wednesday about the issue, Ou said Beijing cannot win respect by using its market as a tool to force others to succumb to its will.

Vystrčil's visit has yielded encouraging results such as the signing of three memoranda of understanding and talks on direct flights between Taipei and Prague and the possibility of two Taiwanese banks opening offices in Prague when the COVID-19 pandemic eases, she said.

Meanwhile, when asked about a report of a planned visit to Taiwan by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in 2021, Ou said Taiwan's government had not received an application from the Dalai Lama to visit.

Taiwan would welcome a visit by the Dalai Lama at a time convenient to both sides, she said, commenting on the report by the Voice of Tibet on its Facebook page.

(By Emerson Lim)

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