Czech senator urges tougher stance toward China after meeting Tsai

Prague, Oct. 16 (CNA) Czech Republic Senator Pavel Fischer has called on his government to take a tougher stance on China after meeting with Taiwan's former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in Prague earlier this week.

Tsai visited the Czech Republic from Oct. 13 to 15 as part of her ongoing Europe trip, her first overseas trip since concluding her second term in office in May.

Aside from delivering a speech at the "Forum 2000" conference being held in the Czech capital, Tsai also visited the country's Senate and met with several senators, including Fischer.

In a Wednesday Facebook post, Fischer reflected on the meeting he had with Tsai, noting that the Czech Republic is the first country the former Taiwan leader visited since leaving the office she held from 2016 to this May.

Fischer, chairman of the Senate's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security, said he and his colleagues and Tsai discussed bilateral cooperation in trade and economics and education between Taiwan and the Czech Republic.

"Despite Taiwan being on the other side of the globe, we must care about what happens in its vicinity. Security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific directly influence the Euro-Atlantic area, and vice versa. Our security and prosperity are closely linked," he said in his post.

The senator also noted China's Oct. 14 military drill in waters surrounding Taiwan, warning that Beijing has been repeatedly practicing attacking Taiwan.

Fischer said that whether China likes it or not, Taiwan is a "free and democratic country" and Beijing's repeated military coercions contradict the United Nations charter even though China is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

The senator urged his government to take a tougher stance against the People's Republic of China at the U.N. over its "unacceptable behavior" targeting Taiwan, including, for instance, summoning China's ambassador to express concern instead of staying silent.

According to Fischer, the current Czech Republic government has promised to review relations with the PRC but provided no further updates on the efforts, saying only that the reviewing process is ongoing.

He stressed that it is in the Czech Republic's interests to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with Taiwan in the fields of culture, research and economy.

Other than meeting senators, Tsai also met with Czech President Petr Pavel when both attended the Forum 2000 conference. She also met Senate President Miloš Vystrčil, and Parliamentary Chamber of Deputies President Markéta Pekarová Adamová, among other high-level Czech Republic politicians.

Before leaving Prague for Paris, Tsai visited Charles University and met with students and academics for a discussion on democratization.

Sinologist Olga Lomova who participated in the round of discussion told CNA that despite the long distance between the Czech Republic and Taiwan, both share similar experiences as both are situated close to a much larger country that is posting serious threats to their respective future.

"I believe her [Tsai's] trip to the Czech Republic is proof to people in the Czech Republic that despite being a small country, we have our place in the world," she said.

Lomova also said she was deeply impressed by Tsai's clear thinking and logic in her discussion with university students, adding that she admired Tsai's strong belief in democratic values.