Petr Pavel, the incoming president of the Czech Republic, is scheduled to speak with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday, according to Pavel’s spokeswoman. This is a very unusual move given the two countries’ lack of formal ties and a diplomatic victory for Taipei that is likely to enrage China.
In order to avoid upsetting China, the second-largest economy in the world, most leaders avoid having high-level public interactions with Taiwan and its president.
Shortly after winning the election, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump called Tsai in 2016, which sparked a wave of criticism from Beijing.
Pavel and Tsai were scheduled to speak at 1000 GMT, according to Pavel’s spokeswoman.
When contacted for comment, Taiwan’s presidential office did not immediately respond, but on Sunday it was revealed that Tsai had congratulated Pavel on his victory.
The Czech Republic’s presidential election was won on Saturday by Pavel, a former army chief and senior NATO official. Pavel will take office in early March and succeed Milos Zeman, who has a reputation for being pro-Beijing.
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