BEIJING • Mr Milos Vystrcil, Speaker of the Czech Senate, will "pay a heavy price" for making an official trip to Taiwan, China's State Councillor Wang Yi said yesterday, prompting Prague to summon China's ambassador to explain comments that it said "crossed the line".
Mr Vystrcil arrived in Taipei on Sunday on a visit to promote business links with Taiwan, and said the Czech Republic would not bow to Beijing's objections.
China considers Taiwan a breakaway province ineligible for state-to-state relations.
"The Chinese government and Chinese people won't take a laissez-faire attitude or sit idly by, and will make him (Vystrcil) pay a heavy price for his short-sighted behaviour and political opportunism," Mr Wang, who is also Foreign Minister, said on his ministry's website.
Mr Wang, who was visiting Germany, gave no further details of how Beijing would respond.
Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek said that although the government did not support the trip, Mr Wang's remarks were too strong and he summoned the Chinese ambassador to explain.
"Minister Wang's statement has crossed the line, such strong words don't belong in relations between two sovereign countries," Mr Petricek said on Twitter, calling for cooperation "without emotions which don't belong in diplomacy".
The Czech foreign ministry then posted on its website that Deputy Minister Martin Tlapa had summoned the ambassador, expressing "fundamental disapproval" of the statement.
Mr Vystrcil said Mr Wang's comments were an interference in Czech internal affairs and that his visit to Taiwan was not meant to "politically confront anyone".
"We are a free country seeking to have good relationships with all countries and I believe this will be the case in the future, irrespective of the statement of the minister," he said in a statement.
Speaking later at a Taipei university, Mr Vystrcil praised Taiwan and its democratic way of life.
Taiwan Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua, speaking before a business forum with Mr Vystrcil, told reporters that the Czech Republic and Taiwan were both "free and democratic countries which put great store on human rights".
Czech President Milos Zeman has sought closer business and political ties with China since taking office in 2013, but his efforts have been hit by failed investment plans and Prague's wavering over allowing China's Huawei Technologies to play a role in developing the Czech Republic's next-generation telecoms networks.
The Czech government accepts the One China policy under which Beijing considers Taiwan a part of its territory, with reunification by force an option, and does not send official delegations to the island.
But Mr Vystrcil is a member of the right-wing opposition Civic Democrats and is not bound by the protocol.
His 90-member group - including politicians, entrepreneurs, scientists and journalists - will stay in Taiwan until Friday. He gave a speech in Taiwan's Parliament yesterday and is due to meet President Tsai Ing-wen.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
