Czech speaker invokes Kennedy in Taiwan's parliament, says 'I am Taiwanese'

Czech Senate Speaker declared himself a Taiwanese during a speech in Taiwan’s parliament on September 1, on the lines of the then US President John F. Kennedy’s defiance of communism in Berlin in 1963. Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in West Berlin is often regarded as his best as he told them he was also a Berliner when the western bloc of capitalist countries was in a cold war with the communist east led by the Soviet Union.

“Please let me also express in person my support to Taiwan and the ultimate value of freedom and conclude today’s speech...with perhaps a more humble, but equally strong statement: ‘I am a Taiwanese’,” Milos Vystrcil said, followed by a standing ovation.

Beijing has already warned that anyone challenging ‘one-China’ policy will have to pay a heavy price, targeting the Czech Republic official over his visit to Taiwan. Vystrcil arrived in Taiwan on August 30 and met top Taiwanese officials, ignoring Beijing's prior warnings. Calling Czech official visit to Taiwan as “provocation”, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi said that the Chinese government will make him pay a heavy for his “short-sighted behaviour.” 

Read: Beijing Warns Czech Republic Of ‘heavy Price’ For Challenging ‘one-China’ Policy

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The self-governing island republic considers itself as sovereign while China claims the province as Beijing’s territory under its one-China policy and has been pushing to implement the Hong Kong system in Taiwan. Wang told reporters during his visit to Germany that challenging the one-China policy on the Taiwan issue is an act of “international treachery”.

'Take immediate action'

The Czech Republic, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and any official visit to the island is frowned upon by Beijing. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian strongly condemned the “anti-China forces” of Czech Republic for interfering in China’s “internal affairs”. The spokesperson urged relevant parties in the Czech Republic to take immediate action and avoid sabotaging the bilateral relations between China and the European nation.

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