Taipei: Visiting Czech Senate President Milo‚¬¦¡ Vystrcil emphasized on Monday that China cannot dictate the Czech Republic's diplomatic relationships, as he officially extended an invitation to Taiwan's Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu to visit his country. Speaking at a press event alongside Han at the Legislative Yuan, Vystrcil stated that both Taiwan and the Czech Republic are "free and democratic countries and do not take orders from other countries." He affirmed, "We will decide who to befriend and who not to befriend," through an interpreter.

According to Focus Taiwan, Vystrcil's remarks came in response to a statement from China's embassy in Prague, which accused him of "interfering in China's internal affairs," given Beijing's claim over Taiwan as part of its territory. The embassy's statement reiterated China's opposition to any form of official exchanges between countries maintaining diplomatic relations with China and Taiwan. It urged the Czech Republic to adhere strictly to the one-China principle and take measures to mitigate the adverse consequences of Vystrcil's actions.

In Taipei, Vystrcil clarified that the Czech Republic adheres to its own one-China policy rather than China's interpretation. He defended the exchanges between the Czech Senate and Taiwan's Legislative Yuan as a legitimate aspect of parliamentary diplomacy, which is integral to the Czech Republic's foreign policy. Addressing domestic criticism, Vystrcil argued that strengthening Czech-Taiwanese ties is mutually beneficial and in the interest of both nations. He noted that over 80 percent of Czech senators support bolstering relations with Taiwan.

Vystrcil also confirmed his official invitation for Han to visit the Czech Republic, marking the potential for continued high-level exchanges. The last such visit occurred in July 2022 when then-Legislative Yuan Speaker You Si-kun traveled to the Czech Republic. Despite reservations from Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babi‚¬¦¡, who declined to provide a government aircraft for Vystrcil's trip to avoid perceived official endorsement, Han expressed appreciation for the Czech Republic's longstanding support of Taiwan on the international stage. He highlighted the upcoming initiation of more direct flights between Taipei and Prague in August, underscoring the deepening economic, cultural, educational, and tourism ties between the two sides.