China Threatened to Harm Czech Companies Over Taiwan Visit: Letter

China Threatened to Harm Czech Companies Over Taiwan Visit: Letter
People wear mask as they walk on the Charles bridge in Prague, Czech Republic on Jan. 27, 2020. Michal Cizek/AFP via Getty Images
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Beijing threatened to retaliate against Czech companies with operations in China if a senior Czech lawmaker went ahead with a planned visit to Taiwan, according to a diplomatic letter seen by Reuters.

The Jan. 10 letter, which was sent by China’s embassy in Prague to the Czech president’s office, suggested that Czech companies operating in mainland China, such as Volkswagen subsidiary Skoda Auto or lender Home Credit Group, would suffer if Senate speaker Jaroslav Kubera visited the self-ruled island.