Senate Speaker: interest in Taiwan trip so high that plane capacity already exceeded

Interest in taking part in a business mission to Taiwan headed by the Speaker of the Czech Senate Miloš Vystrčil is so high that the number of applications already exceeds the capacity of the allocated plane, Mr Vystrčil said on Wednesday.

Applications, often spontaneous, have been sent not only by companies already operating in Taiwan, but also starting entrepreneurs and representatives of companies outside the manufacturing sector. A process of selection will therefore have to take place, says Mr Vystrčil. He is also to be accompanied by seven other senators, as well as a delegation of scientists.

Many leading state officials, including the president and foreign minister, have spoken against the visit taking place, as China has already threatened retaliation for what it views as a breach of the One China policy. However, Mr Vystčil says that the trip will be beneficial both in the business, scientific and cultural sectors, as well as in upholding a moral principle in Czech foreign relations.

Meanwhile, the president of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan Yu Shyi-kun said the visit will deepen an alliance of shared values and mark a new beginning for the diplomacy of the Taiwanese parliament, the daily Hospodářské Noviny wrote on Tuesday.