PRAGUE: China on Tuesday criticized newly elected Czech President Peter Pavel for speaking by telephone with Taiwan’s president and foreign minister a day earlier.
Beijing is trying to keep up. Taiwan isolate Opposes countries that have official exchanges globally and with Taipei.
It claims that an independent, democratic Taiwan will one day be seized by force, if necessary, as part of its territory.
“Pavel… trample China’s red lineChinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said.
“It involves severe interference. Internal affairs of China and hurt the sentiments of the Chinese people.”
Mao said Beijing urged Prague to “immediately take effective measures to eliminate the negative effects of this incident and prevent irreparable damage to Sino-Czech relations”.
Powell, who won Saturday’s presidential election, will replace pro-China incumbent Milos Zeman on March 9.
Earlier this month, Xi Jinping had a 45-minute video call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he calls his friend, and praised the “friendly relationship” between the two countries.
Powell then spoke with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who congratulated him on his election victory.
“I thanked them… and I assured them that Taiwan and the Czech Republic share the values of freedom, democracy and human rights,” Powell said on Twitter.
“We agreed to strengthen our partnership,” added the former general, who served as head of NATO’s military committee in 2015-2018.
He said he hoped to “get a chance to meet President Sai personally in the future”.
Taiwan’s presidential office said the call, which also included Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, lasted about 15 minutes.
“The President recognized that President-elect Pawel lives in the spirit of former Czech President (Viclau) Havel, who respects democracy, freedom and human rights, upon which the Republic was founded, and that he, along with Taiwan, We care.” Tsai’s office said.
Havel was the first president of the Czech Republic, serving from 1993 to 2003.
Before Havel became head of state, the dissident playwright led the Velvet Revolution in 1989, which overthrew communism in the former Czechoslovakia.
Mao said Beijing was urging Prague to “resolutely abide by its political commitment to the one-China principle” espoused by the European Union.
In a radio interview on Sunday, Powell said a one-China policy should be complemented by the “two systems” principle.
“If we have special relations with Taiwan, which is another regime, then there is nothing wrong,” Powell said.