Prague: A high-profile visit to Taiwan in 2020 by Milo‚¬¦¡ Vystrcil, president of the Czech Republic Senate, is now the subject of a documentary, which premiered in Prague on Monday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the documentary, titled "Jsem Tchajwanec" (I am Taiwanese), highlights Vystrcil's strong pushback against pressure from China and his own government when he was about to embark on the visit from August 30 to September 4, 2020. The film "evokes memories of a journey that remains deeply meaningful," Vystrcil told CNA at the premiere at the annual Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival in Prague.

Vystrcil expressed his satisfaction with the continued strength of the Taiwan-Czech partnership and reiterated his support for the Taiwanese people, stating, "I am rooting for you." During a panel discussion following the screening, he drew parallels between the 1989 Velvet Revolution and the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia, emphasizing that "freedom is hard-won and must be cherished."

Vystrcil further asserted, "Once we have gained freedom, we must never again give it up by abandoning what is right, out of fear or threat," explaining that his decision to visit Taiwan in 2020 was driven by this conviction. In a 2024 interview with CNA, Vystrcil revealed that he had been cautioned by both his country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese diplomats against proceeding with his visit to Taiwan, shortly after assuming office as president of the Czech Republic Senate in February 2020.

Despite these warnings, Vystrcil proceeded with the visit, becoming the first head of parliament from a non-allied country to address Taiwan's Legislature. Concluding his speech at the Legislative Yuan, he declared "I am Taiwanese," in Mandarin, echoing United States President John F. Kennedy's iconic 1963 statement, "I am a Berliner," which demonstrated solidarity with West Berlin's citizens during the Cold War.