. | . |
Czech leaders reassure China as Dalai Lama visits by Staff Writers Prague (AFP) Oct 18, 2016 Czech leaders sought to stave off China's anger in a statement on Tuesday, a day after exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama arrived in Prague. The statement came as Chinese firms poured fresh investment into the Czech Republic, for a value expected to reach a total of several billion euros. The Czech president, prime minister and two parliamentary speakers said that the EU nation "respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of China. "We consider the relationships between our countries and their remarkable development in recent years most beneficial for both parties," the statement added. Czech President Milos Zeman, an ex-Communist in office since 2013, has promoted friendly relations with both Russia and China. Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of supporting separatism and violence in Tibet, a region it has ruled since 1951. The Dalai Lama fled to India after a failed uprising in 1959, but is still deeply revered by many Tibetans in China and beyond. He arrived in Prague on Monday to attend the pro-democracy Forum 2000 conference, co-founded in 1996 by former Czech president Vaclav Havel. Since Havel died in 2011, Czech foreign policy has taken a turn eastwards. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Prague with a business delegation in March. China's CEFC, one of the country's top 10 private firms, recently spent around a billion euros on stakes in a Czech airline, a brewery, two media groups and a top football team. During his visit to Prague, the Dalai Lama met politicians from the small centrist Christian Democrats party, the junior partner in the leftist-led coalition government. "The private activities of some Czech politicians do not signal a change in the Czech Republic's official policy and we would consider it unfortunate if someone perceived them as such," said the leaders. Before coming to Prague, the Tibetan spiritual leader met Slovak President Andrej Kiska in Bratislava, angering Beijing which threatened retaliation, according to local media.
Related Links Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |