The president of the Czech Senate arrived in Taiwan on Sunday on a visit that has drawn sharp criticism from China.
Milos Vystrcil was accompanied by Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib and more than 80 representatives from government, business and academia, lending Taiwan a boost in its efforts to resist the diplomatic isolation imposed by Beijing.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu greeted the delegation at Taiwan’s main Taoyuan International Airport after their arrival on a flight chartered from Taiwanese flag carrier China Airlines. China last week denounced Vystrcil’s visit as “undermining the political foundation of China-Czech relations” and said participants were acting out of “their own interests.” “China condemns this despicable act and urges the Czech side to abide by the one-China principle and handle Taiwan-related issues in a prudent and appropriate manner,” foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters on Thursday.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory and its increasing diplomatic pressure has reduced the number of the self-governing island’s formal allies to just 15, most of them small countries in the Pacific, Central America and the Caribbean.
