Companies from both the Czech Republic and Taiwan are planning to conduct more mutual visits next spring to explore business opportunities in each other's country, following satisfying results from the recent visit to Taiwan by a delegation led by Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil.

Pavel Diviš, chairman of the Czech-Taiwanese Business Chamber and chief executive officer of the TGS Machinery in the Czech Republic, made the revelation in a written interview with CNA at the end of September. "We are already working to continue the Taiwan Business Levelup 2020 and we are negotiating another business trip for both Czechs to Taiwan and Taiwanese entrepreneurs to the Czech Republic," said Diviš.

"We would like to make it happen as soon as the anti-COVID measures allow it," he added. "We would like to conduct this exchange in the spring of 2021."

Diviš was part of the 89-member strong delegation headed by Vystrčil to Taiwan on Aug. 30 to Sept. 4. Among the delegates were executives from 36 Czech companies in the information and communication technology, artificial intelligence, Nanotechnology, biotechnology, industrial engineering and environment protection sectors.

The visit, with "Taiwan Business Levelup 2020" as its theme, exceeded expectations, Diviš said, lauding that it happened "at the right time and in the right place," allowing Czech entrepreneurs to take advantage of it. Diviš said the delegation held 280 meetings with and handed out 1,000 business cards to Taiwanese businessmen.

"We have signed an agreement on the joint development of machine tools. It seems that we will start increasing the dynamics of five-axis machine tools, which will massively replace three-axis solutions in the Czech Republic," he said, citing his field as an example.

In other fields, Taiwanese companies might use drug carriers and banknote verifying software developed by Czech companies, he added.

Aside from these, the chamber, with the help of Czech's Senate and Taiwan's Foreign Ministry, is preparing a way to connect companies that were not able to directly participate in the recent visit. "It turns out that the trip generated great interest on both sides. We look forward to helping build on these solid foundations," Diviš said.

On Beijing's threats to sanction businesses that participated in the visit to Taiwan, Diviš speculated that it could be a sign that "serious things" are happening in the Chinese economy. "There is an outflow of capital and companies. They need to send this message inside and stabilize their system that is based on fear, as we are used to with totalitarian systems," he said.

"When we chose Taiwan, we chose a democratic country with an interesting business environment that we can benefit from. With its statement, China only confirmed that when we decided to go to Taiwan, we made the right decision."