Czech Republic’s government wants to tighten the country’s ties with China. But, the mayor of Prague Zdeněk Hřib, a member of the Pirate Party, welcomed in the beginning of March the prime minister of the Tibetan government in exile. This was a clear political message of Pirates and the parties of the city coalition concerning government’s relations with China.
Lobsang Sangay, the Sikyong (Prime Minister) of the Tibetan-government-in-exile, was in Prague in the beginning of March and he tried to meet with the Czech government as well. The latter denied any contact with the representative of occupied by China country. But, Mayor Hřib had the courage to do it.
China was furious with such a “disobedience” in a country that is considered to belong to the sphere of influence of China. Although the Czech Republic didn’t sign yet a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China, its political leadership is flirting with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
“Human beings are more important than money. This is pretty much our message to the government. We are not going to stand aside on human rights anywhere in the world. We are supporting the human rights activists and the oppressed ones who are defending their rights both symbolically and actively,” told us Lukáš Lev Červinka, a Pirate Party candidate in the European Parliament elections and a constitutional lawyer specialising in the comparative constitutional law and parliamentarism, in an interview to the European Interest published on March 22.
Now Beijing’s revenge has arrived. China has cancelled many concerts and cultural events of Prague-based cultural organisations in China. Because Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib’s visit in Taiwan and his meeting with Tibetan Prime Minister irritated the Chinese side, Prague Daily Monitor reports.
The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra is among the “victims” of Beijing’s decision. Its concerts in China scheduled in Autumn seems to be cancelled.
