Prague, Oct 29 (CTK) – More than 40 percent of Czechs considers the last week pro-Chinese statement of four supreme constitutional officials extreme, the public Czech Television (CT) reported tonight, citing the results of a poll by Nielsen Admosphere agency.
One in five consider the statement common, one out of ten said it was extraordinary but necessary, and 4 percent shared the view that it was insufficient.
The remaining one fourth of the 657 respondents had no opinion of the statement.
On October 18, President Milos Zeman, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and the heads of the two houses of parliament, Milan Stech and Jan Hamacek (all three Social Democrats, CSSD) issued a pro-Chinese statement. They say it would be unfortunate if the meeting of several Czech politicians with the Dalai Lama were understood as a change in the Czech foreign policy. They say the Czech Republic fully respects China’s territorial integrity, including Tibet.
Critics of the statement labelled it servile and humiliating Czech citizens. The four political leaders gave in to pressure from a foreign power and preferred possible business advantages to self-esteem and pride of Czech citizens, the critics said.
