31 Global News Post 2

Czech presidential candidate Petr Pavel attends the last radio debate before the country’s direct presidential election in Prague; Photo: David Cerny; Retrieved: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/petr-pavel-who-is-ex-army-chief-leading-czech-presidential-election-race-2023-01-24/

This article written by Reid Standish, a Prague based journalist, and published to RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty (RFE/RL) on February 13, 2023 describes how the Czech Republic’s new president is expanding discourse with the Taiwanese government, breaking protocol with the European Union’s relations with China. Petr Pavel, Czechia’s newly inaugurated president, had a fifteen minute phone call with the Taiwanese president which Beijing denounced as an act of the Czech Republic violating the “One China Rule”.

Beijing had previously advocated for a “17+1” initiative that sought to coordinate the efforts of seventeen Central and Eastern European nations along with Beijing, but Pavel’s actions seem to put this agreement into question. Russia’s close ties with Beijing indicate the threat that unregulated aggression can pose, and several countries have already formally dropped the “17 + 1” initiative due to China’s support of Moscow. Pavel’s conversation with Taiwan is in a rare moment of foreign policy unison with the efforts of Czechia’s coalition government.

This article’s author, Reid Standish, is a RFE/RL correspondent based in Prague. He specializes in reporting on China’s foreign policy in Eurasia and has a background in researching China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Standish’s reporting on this change in Czech policy is very encompassing of regional perspectives, such as Russia and Estonia, and highlights the significance of the Czech Republic’s role in the international system. Standish’s expertise in relations with China is also very apparent throughout as much of the article focuses on Beijing’s reaction to increased dialogue between Czechia and Taiwan. RFE/RL states on their website that their: “mission is to promote democratic values by providing accurate, uncensored news and open debate”. This motivation for accuracy can be easily gained from the article as many sources are included from knowledgeable interviewees and multiple evidenced events are cited throughout.

Cerny, D. (2023). Petr Pavel and his wife, Eva Pavlova, greet supporters at his campaign headquarters in Prague after he was declared the winner of the country’s January presidential election. [Format]. Reuters.https://www.rferl.org/a/china-czechs-pavel-taiwan-ties/32269856.html.

Standish, R. (2023, February 13). How The War In Ukraine Is Prompting The Czechs To Rethink Ties With China. RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/china-czechs-pavel-taiwan-ties/32269856.html.