FM Macinka: Czech Republic seeks stable ties with China

The Czech Republic is interested in maintaining stable relations with China, the Foreign Ministry said on Facebook following a meeting between Foreign Minister Petr Macinka and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

“Minister Macinka raised the issue of visas and a direct air link to Shanghai. Both sides confirmed their interest in stable relations,” the Czech Foreign Ministry said in its statement on the meeting.

According to China’s state broadcaster China Global Television Network (CGTN), Wang welcomed the new Czech government’s efforts to enhance bilateral ties and pledged that Beijing would work to return relations to what he called a “healthy development” as soon as possible. Chinese state television further reported that Macinka had reaffirmed the Czech Republic’s adherence to the one-China policy and its recognition of the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China.

In recent years, Beijing has repeatedly criticised Prague over what it views as breaches of the one-China principle, including visits by Czech politicians to Taiwan and President Petr Pavel’s meeting with the Dalai Lama during celebrations marking the Tibetan spiritual leader’s 90th birthday last year.