Czech Prime Minister National Security Advisor Hynek Kmoníček said Prague plans to re-enter the Chinese market while ensuring national security, stressing that this won’t weaken ties with Taiwan. In an interview on Wednesday, Kmoníček stated that absenting themselves from the Chinese market makes no sense, but that it wouldn’t be easy to enter in a way that is both safe and beneficial to them. 

Kmoníček revealed plans with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, saying that if other leaders’ China visits proceed as scheduled, “we may see some degree of change this year.” He said he would neither rule out nor confirm a potential visit to China by Babiš, though he recently met with a Chinese vice foreign minister in Prague.
Kmoníček stressed that this doesn’t mean they’ll abandon their stance on Taiwan, noting its irreplaceable semiconductor ecosystem. He said Taiwan has built this same ecosystem into the strongest bulwark against China, ensuring global protection for the island. 

By comparison, Kmoníček said that China is facing serious problems, including an aging population and a shrinking workforce. While the focus of the global economy has shifted to Asia, and political attention follows suit, Kmoníček said China is necessarily investing heavily in AI and robotics to stay competitive.