Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Czech Republic President-elect Petr Pavel have expressed interest in having an in-person meeting. The call between the two leaders, which is rare for a Taiwanese leader, was to congratulate the newly elected President of the Czech Republic.

The two leaders have shared that the people of Taiwan and the Czech Republic enjoy deep ties and share values of freedom, democracy, and human rights. The government of Taiwan is looking forward to deepening exchanges and cooperation with the Czech Republic in key areas such as semiconductor design, talent cultivation, and supply chain restructuring. Despite the lack of diplomatic ties, Taiwan and the Czech Republic have maintained cordial relations since the 1990s.

The bilateral relations have warmed since the visit of Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil to Taiwan in September 2020, becoming the first head of a lawmaking body from a non-diplomatic ally to address Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan. President-elect Pavel is considered a pro-Western candidate who backs aid for Ukraine and is supportive of closer ties with Taiwan.

Article by Prague Forum