Prague, Nov 14 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman and PM Bohuslav Sobotka’s servility to China will harm the Czech Republic in the eyes of the USA under Donald Trump, the president-elect who views China as an economic rival, Roman Joch writes in daily Lidove noviny (LN) on Monday.
It would be too early to predict the U.S. foreign policy in detail before Trump is inaugurated and presents his administration. Nevertheless, some of Washington’s positions can be anticipated, Joch writes, and highlights several aspects that might harm Czech-U.S. relations.
Robert Gates, the widely respected last secretary of defence in the previous Republican administration of George W. Bush and the first secretary of defence in the Democrat administration of Barack Obama, warned the European allies in 2011 that they may face a problem soon unless they raise their defence spending adequately, Joch writes.
By adequate spending, Gates meant 2 percent of GDP at least, which Prague pledged to fulfil upon its NATO entry in 1999. Prague, nevertheless, has ignored Gate’s warning and its defence spending keeps at around 1 percent of GDP, Joch writes.
Another problem is the public offending of U.S. ambassador Andrew Schapiro by Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek, Joch continues.
Ovcacek has openly offended Schapiro by tweeting that he is looking forward to seeing this “non-diplomat” leaving Prague soon, Joch writes.
True, Schapiro, like most U.S. ambassadors to Prague since 1989, is not a career diplomat but a political nominee who is supposed to resign after the departure of the president who appointed him. The same happened to Richard Graber, the Bush-nominated ambassador to Prague, in January 2009, Joch writes.
It is a gross mistake to believe that one can win favour of a new ambassador or a new U.S. president by offending the outgoing ambassador. Such offence offends the USA, of which the Czech Presidential Office staff seem unaware, Joch writes.
Ovcacek has made an unacceptable faux pas. Czech government politicians should react by seeking his immediate dismissal. They might threaten to cut the Presidential Office’s budget or prevent Zeman’s flights abroad, Joch writes.
When it comes to Trump’s policy towards Russia, it is not yet known, but his policy towards China will definitely be tougher. In the beginning, Vladimir Putin may expect Trump’s presumption of confidence. It was also granted to him by Bush as well as Obama and his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who made an attempt at a reset of U.S.-Russia relations, Joch writes.
Putin might lose Trump’s confidence once he cheated him, Joch says.
During the presidential campaign, Trump made no secret of viewing China his economic rival and he vowed to impose a 45-percent customs duty on Chinese imports. Irrespective of whether he will really do so, his approach to China will be tougher than Obama’s, mainly in the economic area, Joch writes.
Zeman is pro-Russian and pro-Chinese. Sobotka, the Social Democrat (CSSD) chairman, is not that pro-Russian at least and he tends to maintain the alliance with the USA. However, he is as pro-Chinese as Zeman and the whole CSSD, Joch continues.
Zeman, Sobotka and the CSSD are instruments promoting China’s economic interests in the Czech Republic, which will sharply clash with Trump’s policy towards China, Joch writes.
Under the Trump administration, Prague will pay for its kowtowing to China. Its servile approach may have benefited its protagonists but it will harm the Czech Republic. It was a mistake, Joch writes.
After Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20, learns that Prague’s defence spending reaches a half of what it pledged to spend and that the Czech president, the prime minister and his party are slaves to Chinese economic interests, he might reject the Czech claim for U.S. help. He would wonder whether the Czechs are serious about their request, Joch writes.
One cannot be half pro-Chinese and half the USA’s ally, the same way one cannot be half pro-Russian and half the USA’s ally. If the Czech Republic wants to have good relations with the nascent Trump administration, it should get rid of its pro-Chinese president in the early 2018 elections and oust the pro-Chinese prime minister and his CSSD from power in the general election next year. Czechs would pay dearly for failing to do so, Joch writes.
The period of U.S. altruism is over, the period of Donald Trump is setting in. The Czechs should wake up, Joch concludes.
