Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský (left) met representatives of the Tibetan community in India on February 28, 2023.
Prague – The spokesman of the Chinese embassy in Prague today called on the Czech Republic to avoid further disturbances in the relations between the two countries and to respect the commitment of one China. This is how the embassy responded to the Tuesday meeting of Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský (Pirates) with representatives of the Tibetan community in India. The head of Czech diplomacy said afterwards that there was nothing wrong with the meeting and that it was a normal matter.
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After the meeting, Lipavský told journalists on the spot that the Tibetan side appreciates how Czech society supports the issue of human rights and Tibetan autonomy within China. “The human rights situation is not simple at all, China is currently applying a similar policy in Tibet as in Xinjiang, there is severe persecution,” said the minister.
The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Prague objected to the meeting today on the website. “The Chinese side once again calls on the relevant Czech side to abide by the political commitment of one China, to stop using China-related issues for political manipulation and to avoid creating further disturbances and obstacles in the development of Sino-Czech relations,” the embassy spokesperson wrote.
China considers the Tibetan government-in-exile an illegal separatist group. “China strongly opposes any contact by official officials of any country for any reason with that organization,” said a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Prague.
Lipavský said on Tuesday that there was nothing wrong with the meeting and that it was a normal matter. “I don't know if there will be a reaction (from China) or not, but Czech foreign policy has not committed anything that would go beyond our consistent policy in this matter,” added the head of Czech diplomacy.
China claims that Tibet liberated and improves the fate of its inhabitants by financing economic development. However, Tibetans accuse Beijing of oppressing the local people, language and culture. Last year's meeting between Lipavský and the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Penpa Tsehring, in Washington was also sharply condemned by China.
