Czech Communists Show Fealty to China

The deference shown to the Chinese officials by the party leader of the Czech Communists during a video conference last September is shocking. As Song Tao highlights Beijing's fury over the high-profile trip to Taiwan taken by Milos Vystrcil, president of the Czech Senate, the previous month, Filip speaks of an act undertaken by a few political black sheep, which was out of step with the mood of the country.

In fact, although many top Czech politicians and government officials, including President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babis, condemned the delegation to Taiwan and its clearly provocative intent, the trip drew widespread praise from the rest of the country, as well as abroad. China's clumsy threat that Czechia would "pay a high price" for the trip only provoked public fury.

This was not surprising. Despite a recent campaign by Beijing to procure influence in Prague's political circles, Czech public opinion regarding China is among the lowest in Europe.

But the Chinese officials were not ready to give up the hunt. The Senate leader, the third highest constitutional official in the country, must be isolated, they told Filip during the video conference. "We hope that the mainstream in the Czech Republic will draw a clear dividing line with Vystrcil and others, adhere to the 'One-China' principle, and take concrete actions to safeguard the overall development of China-Czech relations," Song Tao intoned.

President Zeman, the Chinese official noted, had already acted. The head of state, who has spent his time since taking office in 2013 promoting Chinese interests, announced while the delegation was still in Taiwan that he would no longer admit Vystrcil to top-level meetings.

A woman holds placard with pictures of Prime...