Czech parliamentarian Marek Benda says he believes that relations between Taiwan and the Czech Republic will deepen further now that Taipei and Prague are sister cities.
Benda was speaking Wednesday during a meeting with Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, who is in the Czech Republic for an official visit.
Benda has been the chairman of the Czech Parliament's Czech Republic-Taiwan Friendship Group since 2006. He congratulated Taiwan on its successful presidential election last Saturday. He also said that Chinese pressure on Taiwan over the past years has served to raise Taiwan’s profile in the Czech Republic.
Prague and Taipei signed a sister city agreement on Monday. The move has angered China, and the Chinese city of Shanghai responded by cutting off its friendship ties with Prague. The Shanghai city government accused Prague of “intervening in China’s internal affairs” and “publicly challenging the ‘one China’ principle.”