China on Tuesday accused Czech President-elect Petr Pavel of challenging its hard line on national sovereignty by affirming ties with self-ruled Taiwan in a phone call with the island’s leader.
The call on Monday represents a symbolic breach of China’s attempts to cut off the already highly restricted foreign relations of the self-governing democracy, which Beijing claims as its own territory with no right to independent diplomatic recognition.
Pavel, a retired army general, will succeed controversy-courting Milos Zeman in the largely ceremonial but prestigious post. Over his decade in office, Zeman has drawn criticism for his stances favoring Russia and China, authoritarian states that have strengthened relations since last year's invasion of Ukraine in a joint challenge to the U.S. and its allies.
“As a sovereign state, it is us who decide whom we call or whom we meet. We traditionally have good economic, educational and research relations with democratic Taiwan. It is also necessary to respect that China is an important Asian trading partner. We continue in our tradition and we are stressing the need to protect common democratic values,” he wrote in a tweet.
China in recent years has upped its threat to bring Taiwan under its control, by force if necessary, prompting new sales of tanks and missiles to the island by key ally the U.S. and steps by Tsai's administration to extend compulsory military service and bolster the domestic defense industry.
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