In diplomatic coup, Taiwan president speaks to Czech president-elect - Reuters

TAIPEI/PRAGUE, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen held a telephone telephone with Czech President-elect Petr Pavel connected Monday, a highly antithetic determination fixed the deficiency of ceremonial ties betwixt their countries and a diplomatic coup for Taipei that is definite to infuriate China.

The 2 leaders stressed their countries' shared values of freedom, ideology and quality rights during their 15-minute call, their offices said, and Pavel said helium hoped to conscionable Tsai successful the future.

Most countries debar high-level nationalist interactions with Taiwan and its president, not wishing to provoke China, the world's 2nd largest economy.

Beijing views Taiwan arsenic being portion of "one China" and demands different countries recognise its sovereignty claims, which Taiwan's democratically-elected authorities rejects.

In 2016, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke by telephone with Tsai soon aft winning the election, mounting disconnected a tempest of protestation from Beijing.

Tsai said she hoped that nether Pavel's enactment the Czech Republic would proceed to cooperate with Taiwan to beforehand a adjacent partnership, and that she hoped to enactment successful interaction with him.

"Bilateral enactment betwixt Taiwan and the Czech Republic is adjacent and good," her bureau summarised Tsai arsenic having said.

Pavel, a erstwhile service main and precocious NATO authoritative who won the Czech statesmanlike predetermination connected Saturday, said connected Twitter that the 2 countries "share the values of freedom, democracy, and quality rights".

'ONE-CHINA' PRINCIPLE

Earlier, China's overseas ministry had said it was "seeking verification with the Czech side" connected media reports that the telephone was to instrumentality place.

"The Chinese broadside is opposed to countries with which it has diplomatic ties engaging successful immoderate signifier of authoritative speech with the Taiwan authorities. Czech President-elect Pavel during the predetermination play openly said that the 'one-China' rule should beryllium respected," the ministry said.

Pavel volition instrumentality bureau successful aboriginal March, replacing President Milos Zeman, who is known for his pro-Beijing stance.

Zeman spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping this period and they reaffirmed their "personal friendly" relationship, according to a readout of their telephone from Zeman's office.

The Czech Republic, similar astir countries, has nary authoritative diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but the 2 sides person moved person arsenic Beijing ratchets up subject threats against the land and Taipei seeks caller friends successful Eastern and Central Europe.

The centre-right Czech authorities has said it wants to deepen practice with antiauthoritarian countries successful the India-Pacific region, including Taiwan, and has besides been seeking a "revision" of ties with China.

In 2020, the caput of the Czech Senate visited Taiwan and declared himself to beryllium Taiwanese successful a code astatine Taiwan's parliament, channelling the precocious U.S. President John F. Kennedy's defiance of communism successful Berlin successful 1963.

Reporting by Robert Muller and Jason Hovet; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee successful Taipei; editing by Gareth Jones

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