A crisis in the Czech Republic’s relations with China and Russia

Summary:

The past few weeks have exposed tensions in the Czech Republic’s contacts with China and Russia, revealing a crisis of bilateral relations that has been worsening for years. These tensions were escalated by the symbolic gestures made by the Prague city government, which were viewed as provocative, and the harsh reactions from China and Russia, which intensified the criticism of these countries in public debate inside the Czech Republic.

As a result, the position of pro-Chinese and pro-Russian circles in the country, which are focused mainly around President Miloš Zeman, has weakened. This has reduced their room for manoeuvre, and made it more difficult for them to dictate the tone in Czech foreign policy: for example, reducing the chances that companies from China and Russia will be entrusted with carrying out large orders as part of the planned development of the nuclear energy sector.

The crisis in the model of Prague’s relations with Beijing and Moscow which operated until recently offers a chance for the country to enhance its co-operation with the US, which is already visible in the policy of the government led by Andrej Babiš.

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