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Alyssa Chen

A group of Czech lawmakers are visiting China in the first high-level engagement between the two countries since 2019, a move Chinese analysts described as “testing the waters” rather than representing a more substantive thaw.
Tomio Okamura, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and head of the delegation, told local media he was hoping to secure agreements on more direct flights, an increase in Chinese tourist numbers and visa-free travel for Czech citizens.
Representatives from 40 Czech firms – representing sectors such as energy, mechanical engineering and industrial technology – are also taking part in the five-day visit in the hope of exploring fresh business opportunities.
It is the first high-level exchange between the two sides since former president Milos Zeman, who was known for his China-friendly stance, made a state visit in 2019.
After years of frosty relations between the two countries as a result of issues such as Taiwan and Tibet, there have been signs of a shift following a change of government in December.
But Shi Zhiqin, a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University, warned that the impact of the visit should not be overstated because of deep divisions over China among Czech politicians.
“Now you have the executive branch and lower house favouring friendlier ties with China, while the Senate and the president remain staunchly anti-Beijing and pro-Taiwan,” Shi said.
Cui Hongjian, a former diplomat and head of European Union studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said that without a cross-party consensus on China policy, any attempt by the governing party to mend fences with Beijing would be seized on by rival politicians to attack the government.

“This tug of war will cloud the predictability and sustainability of any diplomatic thaw,” Cui said, adding that Prague’s pivot towards Beijing was largely driven by Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who has adopted a pragmatic, business-focused approach.
“Okamura’s visit is essentially about ‘throwing a stone to test the waters’ – gauging whether Beijing and Prague can use this engagement to chart out some ground rules and a clearer path forward,” Cui said.
Jian Junbo, director of the Centre for China-Europe Relations and a professor at Fudan University, said relations were unlikely to recover to their former level because of these internal divisions, adding that it was an open question whether recent goodwill gestures from Prague represented a genuine thaw or were merely tactical positioning.
The previous government, led by Petr Fiala between 2021 and 2025, actively championed values-based diplomacy, with the Czech Republic emerging as one of Taiwan’s most outspoken partners in Europe.
Beijing views Taiwan as part of China and has never renounced the use of force to reunify the island with the mainland.
Most countries, including the Czech Republic, do not recognise Taiwan as independent.
During this period, Beijing repeatedly criticised Prague for what it viewed as violations of the one-China principle, typically triggered by high-profile visits to Taiwan.
Tensions reached a boiling point last August when President Petr Pavel met the Dalai Lama during a private trip to India – the first time a sitting Czech head of state had done so – prompting China to sever all contacts with Pavel.
Babis, who previously served as prime minister between 2017 and 2021, has criticised the values-based approach, saying it harmed Czech business interests in China.
In a symbolic break with standard practice, Senate Speaker Milos Vystrcil – a leading pro-Taiwan figure – was denied the use of a government aircraft for a visit to the island last month.
Babis said it was an unnecessary expense and he did not want the trip to damage relations with Beijing.
Cui warned that Prague needed to understand which issues touched on China’s core interests.
“The Czech side should not adopt an opportunistic and utilitarian approach, treating sensitive issues like Taiwan and Tibet as transactional cards to be played for diplomatic leverage,” he said.
“Today it might be Taiwan and Tibet; tomorrow it could be other issues. If this fundamental understanding is not established, any restoration of bilateral relations will struggle to become a long-term, sustainable process.”
Other European Union members have also moved to improve relations with China in recent months.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius, who assumed office last week, has moved to mend fences with Beijing, describing his predecessor’s 2021 decision to allow Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in Vilnius as “perhaps too brave”.
However, the EU itself is preparing for a possible trade war after the trade deficit widened dramatically, fuelling fears that China’s commanding position in green technology and its state-subsidised industrial model are undercutting European companies.
An EU official said last week that measures permitting tariffs and quotas to combat sudden import surges may “become legitimate on a case-by-case basis”, while France and Germany are exploring a joint road map to address the trade imbalance.
Against this backdrop, Jian said the shift in Czech policy towards China reflected its concern for its own economic interests.
“Czech interests span numerous sectors – from investment and mechanical engineering to new energy development,” Jian said. “Both sides retain considerable appetite for deepening cooperation across these areas.”


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Czech legislators ‘testing the waters’ with China visit after years of tension

Tomio Okamura, the speaker of the lower house, is leading the Czech delegation. Photo:  EPA

Former president Milos Zeman, pictured with Xi Jinping, was the last high-profle Czech politician to visit China in 2019. Photo: Xinhua

Czech President Petr Pavel enraged Beijing when he met the Dalai Lama last year. Photo: Facebook/Dalai Lama

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Milos Vystrcil, president of the Czech senate, has said his trip aims to boost understanding and cooperation at the political and people-to-people levels. Photo: Handout

Milos Vystrcil is leading a delegation of business, academia and cultural representatives to Taiwan. Photo: Handout

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China

Diplomacy

A change of government in Prague late last year signalled a more pragmatic and Beijing-friendly approach


A change of government in Prague late last year signalled a more pragmatic and Beijing-friendly approach.


Czech Republic

Taiwan

Tibet

Czech legislators ‘testing the waters’ with China visit after years of tension

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}A change of government in Prague late last year signalled a more pragmatic and Beijing-friendly approach

A change of government in Prague late last year signalled a more pragmatic and Beijing-friendly approach