What’s new: China has lodged stern representations with the Czech Republic on Tuesday after the latter’s President-elect Petr Pavel held a phone conversation with Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China “deplores and strongly opposes” the call between Pavel and Tsai, which constituted official contact with the Taiwan authorities and “serious interference” with China’s internal affairs, according to a statement on the ministry’s website.
Mao said Pavel acted in defiance of China’s repeated dissuasion, adding that the call on Monday was a “blatant violation” of Czech’s political commitment to the “One China” principle.
China has made a solemn demarche to the Czech side and urged the central European nation to take immediate measures to “correct the wrongdoing” and “undo the negative impact” to the bilateral relations, Mao said.
The background: Pavel and Tsai spoke via phone on Monday after the former was elected as Czech’s new president. In a tweet following the call, Pavel said the two agreed to strengthen their “partnership” and that he hopes to meet Tsai in person in the future.
Pavel, a retired general and former NATO senior official, was elected Saturday as the new president of the Czech Republic. He will take office in March, replacing outgoing Milos Zeman, who was seen as a strong advocate for closer economic ties with Beijing.
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Bertrand Teo (bertrandteo@caixin.com)
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