PRAGUE (AP) — China on Tuesday criticized Czech President-elect Petr Pavel for holding a phone call with Taiwan’s president and foreign minister a day earlier.
Beijing must keep Taiwan isolated globally and oppose countries with official exchanges with Taipei.
It claims democratic and autonomous Taiwan from its territory to be taken one day, by force if necessary.
“Pavel. . . has trampled China’s line,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said.
“This seriously interferes with China’s internal affairs and hurts the emotions of the Chinese people,” he added.
Beijing suggested Prague “immediately take effective measures to eliminate the negative effects of this incident and avoid irreparable damage to Sino-Czech relations,” Mao said.
Pavel, who will participate in Saturday’s presidential election, will update pro-China incumbent Milos Zeman on March 9.
Earlier this month, Zeman made a 45-minute video with Chinese President Xi Jinping, of whom he is his friend, and praised the “friendly relations” between the two countries.
Pavel then held talks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who congratulated him on his election victory.
“I thanked him. . . and I trust you that Taiwan and the Czech Republic share the values of freedom, democracy and human rights,” Pavel said on Twitter.
“We have agreed on our partnership,” added the former general, who headed NATO’s army committee from 2015 to 2018.
He said he hoped to “have the opportunity to meet President Tsai in the future. “
Taiwan’s president said the call, which was also joined by Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, lasted only about 15 minutes.
“President Array. . . identified that President-elect Pavel maintains the spirit of former Czech President (Vaclav) Havel, who respects democracy, freedom and human rights, under which the republic was founded, and stores the same concepts as Taiwan,” Tsai’s office said. dijo. me said.
Havel, the first president of the Czech Republic, in office from 1993 to 2003.
Before Havel was head of state, the dissident playwright led the 1989 Velvet Revolution, which overthrew communism in the former Czechoslovakia.
Mao said Beijing urged Prague to “earnestly fulfill its political commitment to the one-China principle” observed across the European Union.
In a radio interview Sunday, Pavel said the one-China policy will be complemented through a “two-systems” principle.
“There is nothing if we have express relations with Taiwan, which is the other system,” Pavel said.
— AFP
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