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Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu will speak at a security conference in Prague on June 14, the organisers said Friday. world news
Wu will share the floor with Czech President Petr Pavel at the summit, described by the organisers as “an international conference on security policy”.
“I can confirm the Taiwanese foreign minister will deliver a speech at the European Values Summit 2023 next week,” Olga Janzurova, spokeswoman for the European Values think-tank, told AFP.
The visit is a thorn in the side of China, which is trying to keep Taipei isolated on the world stage.
Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory under its one-China policy, and has vowed to take it one day.
“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. There is no Taiwan foreign minister, only the head of the local foreign affairs department in China,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Friday.
He added the one-China principle was “the prerequisite and political basis for China to develop friendly relations with other countries in the world”.
The Czech Republic officially pursues the one-China policy, like the European Union, but its officials foster close ties with Taiwan.
The speakers of both chambers of the Czech parliament have recently visited Taiwan, whose investment in the EU member is much bigger than China’s.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was one of the first politicians worldwide to congratulate Czech President Pavel when he was elected in January.
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