(THREAD) CHINA BLACKMAILS Czech Republic OVER TAIWAN:
Despite hard pressure by Beijing Czech second highest constitutional figure - Senate Speaker @Vystrcil_Milos takes a 90-person parliamentary and business delegation on August 30 – September 5 to Taiwan.
Why it matters:
On 10 January 10 2020, the Chinese Embassy in Prague sent a letter threatening the previous Senate Speaker Jaroslav Kubera - announcing retaliation against Czech companies operating in China if Kubera were to fly to Taiwan.
The letter mentions specific companies (!).
Czech Senate Speaker Jaroslav Kubera received the Chinese Embassy letter on 14 January 2020, during a meeting at Czech Presidential Office.
On 17 January 2020, Jaroslav Kubera met with the Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jianmin.
On 20 January 2020, Kubera died of a heart attack.
Kubera’s successor @Vystrcil_Milos, despite hard pressure by the Chinese government, takes a 90-person parliamentary and business delegation to Taiwan. The Czech delegation uses a Taiwan airlines aircraft.
Details on the Chinese blackmail of Kubera:
CHINESE REACTION:
Global Times editorial: „Vystrcil is rule-breaker who is trampling on diplomatic civilization. His gilding for his evil deeds is a manifestation of being a political hooligan.“
(@Vystrcil_Milos is) "a small, remote Central European country's senate speaker".
"The Chinese government (..) will make him (Czech Senate Speaker) pay a heavy price for his short-sighted behaviour and political opportunism," says China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
reuters.com/article/us-tai…
.@Vystrcil_Milos: Wang's comments are interference in Czech internal affairs.
"We are free country seeking to have good relationships with all countries and I believe this will be the case in the future irrespective of statement of Minister (Wang)."
reuters.com/article/us-tai…
WHY IT MATTERS GLOBALLY:
China promises to punish Czech Republic hard for this trip to Taiwan.
Chinese Communist Party has essentially only two options, both are bad for its interests in Europe:
OPTION #1:
If Beijing punishes Prague hard, it will lose any remaining political influence & will confirm that China cannot be trusted as a reliable business partner if it acts as a totalitarian bully.
OPTION #2:
If Beijing doesn’t punish Prague, then everybody in Europe will see that it is perfectly normal to lead political and business delegations to democratic and prospering Taiwan.
JUST IN: Czech Foreign Minister @TPetricek calls in the Chinese Ambassador in Prague to explain words of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang on @Vystrcil_Milos.
@TPetricek "will protest" since what Wang said on Czech Senate Speaker is "over the line".
Here, Czech satirical projects like @bestiesusmevem jump in to make fun of Chinese bullshit:
BREAKING NEWS:
China punishes a first Czech company.
Deal on Czech pianos worth some 223 500 USD just got cancelled.
This company was named a future punishment victim in the blackmail letter by Chinese Embassy Prague in January 2020.
magazin.aktualne.cz/kultura/klasic…
Here is the English translation of the blackmailing letter by the Chinese Embassy in Prague.
sinopsis.cz/en/embassy-thr…
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