Hřib: Council may cancel Prague-Beijing sister city agreement over ‘One China’ clause

The Prague municipal government may cancel a sister-city agreement with Beijing, Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) told the Czech News Agency (ČTK) on Friday.

The move stems from China’s refusal to negotiate deleting a clause saying the Czech capital recognises the “One China” policy, negating sovereignty claims by Taiwan and Tibet, Hřib reportedly said. Prague city councillors are due to vote on cancelling the agreement on Monday.

The Prague-Beijing agreement was approved in February 2016 by under then mayor Adriana Krnáčová (ANO). Since taking office, Mr Hřib has worked to delete section regarding the “One China” policy.

In response, Beijing has indefinitely postponed or outright cancelled scheduled tours by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and other Czech groups.