TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — During his visit as part of the Czech delegation to Taipei, Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib confirmed on Monday (Aug. 31) that discussions about opening a direct flight between the sister cities had borne fruit, with the new route to open as soon as the coronavirus pandemic subsides.
Monday afternoon, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil and other members of the newly arrived Czech delegation to an event at National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taipei. Following speeches by NCCU president Kuo Ming-cheng (郭明政) and Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Zdenek spoke of his admiration for the Taiwanese commitment to a free society and stressed the importance of collaboration between democracies.
Afterward, Hrib, who had arrived at the event with Vystrcil and several other Czech political figures, spoke with Taiwan News about his three main objectives for the visit.
The Czech Pirate Party mayor stated that one of the goals is opening up a direct flight between the sister cities. "We have talked with China Airlines representatives about the possibility of a direct line between Prague and Taipei," he said, adding that the negotiations seem to be going well.
Later that day, Hrib announced on Facebook that the Prague-Taipei flight is now confirmed and that China Airlines will begin operating the route as soon as the pandemic lets up. He also pointed out in the post that the "China" included in the Taiwanese national carrier's name refers to the "Republic of China," not the country across the strait.
Hrib's other stated objectives are working with the Taipei authorities to step up intercity cooperation in technical areas, such as smart city projects, and supply chains. He pointed out that "a lot of people realize that it's not a good idea to be strategically dependent on Mainland China in the case of crises — like the coronavirus crisis for example."
Hrib (front right) leaving NCCU after Senate President Vystrcil's speech on Aug. 31. (Taiwan News photo)
