HONG KONG, May 27 (Reuters) – China is willing to work with the Czech Republic to improve ties and revive a traditional friendship, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Czech counterpart Petr Macinka, state broadcaster CCTV said on Wednesday.
Like most nations, the Czech Republic formally recognises only Beijing and not Taiwan, which is claimed by China, but it has grown closer to the semiconductor powerhouse in recent years, and has seen growing investment from it.
Both sides should “strengthen dialogue and cooperation, enhance political mutual trust and gradually expand practical cooperation in areas such as economy, trade and tourism,” Wang said, according to CCTV, to take ties in the correct direction.
Taiwan is an internal issue for China, Wang added, saying he hoped the Czech government would “practice the One-China principle … and promote China-Czech relations back on a healthy development track.”
China has been critical of ties between Prague and Taipei. It sees the democratically-governed island as having no right to state-to-state relations, a view the government in Taipei strongly rejects.
Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung visited Prague last week and spoke at a forum there.
Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil is leading a business delegation on a visit next week to Taiwan, where he is set to meet President Lai Ching-te.
Relations were also strained last year after Czech President Petr Pavel met the Dalai Lama in India in July. A group from the Czech parliament also travelled to Dharamshala in December and met the Tibetan spiritual leader.
In March, China said it strongly opposed the Czech Senate passing a draft resolution on the Dalai Lama’s succession, saying it “grossly interfered” with internal affairs.
(Reporting by the Beijing newsroom, Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Jan Lopatka in Prague; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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