Czech Senate Speaker Milos Vystrcil waves upon his arrival at Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport. Photo: AFP

Czech Republic President Milos Zeman has slammed the visit to the island of Taiwan by the head of the Czech Senate Milos Vystrcil, calling it a "boyish provocation." Some analysts believe that the president is trying to defuse the political farce and reduce the impact on China-Czech ties. 

Vystrcil's six-day visit with a delegation of 90 people was not backed by the Czech government, which has always adhered to the one-China principle, especially after the incumbent Zeman administration took office in 2013. 

Vystrcil, who is a nobody on the stage of international affairs, quickly became the focus of attention last week after he stated, "I am a Taiwanese" in a speech during his high-profile visit to the island, echoing the late US President John F. Kennedy's cold war slogan in Berlin in 1963.

Zeman on Sunday said on broadcaster Prima that Vystrcil's Taiwan tour was a "boyish provocation," and he will now be excluded from meetings of the state's top foreign policy officials, Reuters reported. 

Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babis said on Sunday that Vystrcil did not understand the bigger world and he will try to prevent losses for Czech firms, Czech media reported. 

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during his visit in Germany on August 31 that anyone who challenges the one-China principle will pay a heavy price, referring to the Czech Senate speaker's Taiwan visit.

Cui Hongjian, director of EU studies at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times that at the central administrative level, there will be no substantive exchanges between the Czech Republic and Taiwan. However, in the Czech parliament, anti-China statements and proposals related to Taiwan may appear, which will have an impact on overall relations.

Some politicians from the Czech parliament have tried to challenge the government's foreign policy dominance by putting forward ideas and proposals that are inconsistent with the government's policies, said Cui, noting that these will make it more difficult for the Czech government when it comes to China-related issues and undermine the harmony of bilateral relations.

Czech media reported Friday that the Czech piano manufacturer Petrof, which sells 35 percent of its products to China, lost a CZK 5.3 million ($237,000) deal from a Beijing-based customer, who cancelled the order as the deal was at risk of incurring a fine if China imposed sanctions against the Czech Republic. 

China wants its foreign policy to be holistic rather than acting in complete contradiction to what it says, Cui said. 

Many Czech companies operate in or export to China. Home Credit, which belongs to the richest Czech, Petr Kellner, is a major consumer lender in China. The Chinese mainland is also the biggest single market for Czech-based Skoda Auto, Reuters reported.

In 2019, trade between the island of Taiwan and the Czech Republic only came to $800 million, while trade between the Chinese mainland and the Czech Republic totaled $29.3 billion, a 2.3 percent increase from the previous year.