Petr Pavel, the President-elect of the Czech Republic, spoke with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in a phone call, becoming the first elected European head of state to do so. This move risks angering China, as European Union leaders typically limit their political contact with Taiwanese authorities to the level of civil servants and refrain from direct political contact. However, international attention on Taiwan has been growing due to China’s increasing military threats. Pavel confirmed the conversation on Twitter, expressing that both the Czech Republic and Taiwan share values of freedom, democracy, and human rights, and agreed to strengthen their partnership. Observers have compared this phone call to the one held between Tsai and former US President Donald Trump. Chinese diplomats reportedly tried to stop the call from happening, and diplomats in Brussels are cautiously monitoring for potential economic retaliation from Beijing. Pavel’s move represents a stark change from the pro-Beijing stance of his predecessor, Czech President Miloš Zeman.

Article by Prague Forum