Welcome to the 79th issue of the CEEasia Briefing.
In this issue, we dissect the following topics:
- Czech business delegation travels to China
- Gdansk and Tainan sign an MoU on cooperation in high-tech industries
- Slovak President Pellegrini visits China
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1. Czech business delegation travels to China
What’s going on? In late July, Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura led a political and business delegation to China. This was the first high–level Czech politician to make an official visit to the country since former President Miloš Zeman in 2019. Okamura visited Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, meeting with Zhao Leji, the chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, and Wang Huning, the chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, among others.
Going deeper… Okamura was accompanied by around 20 Czech business representatives from sectors including energy, mechanical engineering, industrial technology, and digital services. In Beijing and Shanghai, he opened Czech–Chinese business forums intended to help Czech companies already operating in China expand their activities and to identify opportunities for those interested in conducting business in China.
Okamura identified four additional objectives for his visit, including resuming direct flights between Prague and Shanghai, attracting more Chinese tourists to Czechia, securing visa-free entry to China for Czech citizens (Czechia remains one of only two EU member states excluded from China’s current unilateral visa-free regime) and bringing a Terracotta Army exhibition to Prague.
However… The timing of the visit was criticized by the opposition as well as security experts. It followed reports, and later confirmation by Czech Foreign Ministry, that China had in late June detained a Czech citizen who is being investigated on suspicion of endangering national security. According to Czech media, the man had previously cooperated with the defense-industrial group CSG and represented its radar manufacturer Eldis in China. He reportedly traveled there at the invitation of Chinese authorities in connection with the certification of airport radar systems.
Czech security services do not rule out the possibility that China might want to exchange the man for a Chinese citizen arrested and indicted in Czechia in January for conducting “unauthorised activity for a foreign power.” Neither Prague nor Beijing have directly linked the two cases for now.
This means… The trip is part of a broader foreign-policy pivot by the new governing coalition, which is seeking a more pragmatic and opportunistic relationship with China. This is instead of the previous government’s more values-based diplomacy. Figures within the coalition have argued that the former government’s engagement with Taiwan damaged Czech economic interests in China. In reality, however, several major Czech companies that previously operated in the Chinese market have since withdrawn primarily due to intensifying local competition, declining market share, and an increasingly difficult business environment, based on their statements, rather than as a direct consequence of Czech policy towards Taiwan.
Still… Okamura’s trip produced few tangible results beyond plans to restore the direct Prague –Shanghai flight connection, potentially in the summer or autumn of 2027. Okamura also reported that one contract involving machinery for renewable-energy production had emerged from the business forums, although few details were made public. In contrast, as Okamura’s visit was ongoing, Beijing imposed export controls on 14 European entities, restricting their access to Chinese dual-use goods. This was in a seeming response to the EU’s latest sanctions package against Russia, which included 14 Chinese and Hong Kong entities accused of supporting Russia’s war effort. The companies China targeted also included the Czech vehicle manufacturer Tatra Trucks, showing little consideration for the presence of the Czech delegation in the country.
Furthermore… Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček are planning to follow up on the trip with a mission to China in the first half of next year. However, trying to secure visa-free travel for Czech tourists and identifying new business opportunities as the main priorities of the two countries’ bilateral relations sits uneasily with the current focus of the EU, which is on addressing China’s massive industrial overcapacity and the weaponization of supply chains. Reflecting this, the EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic stated last month that China has until October to address its massive trade deficit with the bloc.
2. Gdansk and Tainan sign an MoU on cooperation in high-tech industries
What’s going on? Huang Wei-che, the mayor of Tainan, led a business and municipal delegation to the Polish city of Gdansk in July 2026 to promote Polish-Taiwanese cooperation in high-tech industries. Two major agreements were signed during the visit: a municipal cooperation agreement between the two cities and an MoU between the Pomerania Development Agency and the Taiwan-Poland Chamber of Commerce establishing the Taiwan-Poland AI Robotics Alliance. The latter builds on a letter of intent signed in July 2025 to strengthen economic and technological ties between Pomerania, a province in northwestern Poland, and Taiwan.
Going deeper… Poland-Taiwan relations have been on a steady upward trajectory in recent years. The number of bilateral visits at the municipal, parliamentary, and ministerial levels has risen steadily after Donald Tusk’s return as prime minister in 2023, and even more so after the election of President Lai Ching-te in 2024. The past three months, in particular, have seen major developments in semiconductors, drones, and other advanced technologies. In June, the Taiwan Expo Europe in Warsaw showcased Taiwanese capabilities in areas including smart manufacturing, drones, and next-generation mobility. Plans were also announced for a new technology park near Wroclaw focused on the production of EV components, which could potentially be integrated into the emerging German-Czech-Polish semiconductor ecosystem centered around the ESMC plant in Dresden.
Prior to that… Poland had already been strengthening its cooperation with Taiwan in high-tech industries. In May 2026, EletcroMobility Poland (EMP) and Foxconn announced a strategic partnership to develop an electromobility hub in the southern Polish city of Jaworzno. The project envisages the production of three mid-sized SUV models for the European market under a Polish brand. EMP and Foxconn are currently negotiating the scope of their cooperation, including the possibility of establishing a joint venture with Foxconn’s EV subsidiary – Foxtron Vehicle Technologies. Foxconn is also planning a semiconductor project in Miekinia, Lower Silesia. The location had previously been considered for an investment by Intel, which the US company abandoned in July 2025. For the EV project, Poland had previously considered a partnership with Chinese automaker Geely, but this fell through as the Tusk government increasingly emphasized industrial upgrading and moving beyond Poland’s role as a mere “assembly hub.”
This means… As the Polish-Taiwanese technology cooperation increasingly moves into higher-value-added activities, there is growing potential for Poland to pursue industrial upgrading. This will, however, require significant involvement from domestic suppliers and firms, which may not necessarily be a priority for multinational corporations (whether Taiwanese or otherwise), especially if local suppliers are not already active in the relevant technological areas and supply-chain segments. Moreover, while Tusk’s ambition to develop more complete supply chains within Poland could support upgrading, achieving this will be easier said than done. The challenge is particularly significant within the European context, where energy prices and production costs are considerably higher than in Taiwan.
3. Slovak President Pellegrini visits China
What’s going on? Slovakia’s president Peter Pellegrini visited Beijing between 27th and 29th July, meeting with top-ranking members of the Politburo, including Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is the first visit in 16 years by a Slovak president to China and follows a visit by Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico to Beijing in September 2025.
Going deeper… The Slovak president met with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee Zhao Leji, who have called the bilateral relations the “best in history.” Li has called on Slovakia to promote a more positive and rational EU policy towards China, showing that for Beijing, Bratislava might hold a crucial role in its engagement with the post-Orban EU.
While the visit was largely devoid of any palpable outcomes, it is indicative of Slovakia’s current openness to China. Pellegrini hinted at a new investment from a Chinese automobile company currently in the works, following the recent €1.2 billion Gotion and €1.2 billion Volvo/Geely investments in the east and south of Slovakia. He also called for strengthening mutual research and development cooperation, pushing for the country’s Minister of Education to visit Beijing along with the country’s universities and research sector in the coming months. Such cooperation is increasingly under the purview of the European Union, which earlier this year banned Chinese institutions from most of the EU’s €93.5 billion EUR flagship research funding program Horizon Europe.
This means… During the visit, Pellegrini invited Xi to visit Bratislava, and Xi said that he will return the favor in the future. One may disregard this as diplomatic niceties, especially as Xi reportedly already promised this last year, during Prime Minister Fico’s visit. Such a visit is long overdue, with the last visit of the Chinese president to Bratislava being in 2009, when Hu Jintao spent two days in Slovakia. With its “all-azimuth” foreign policy, Slovakia’s government would probably view this as an opportunity to further raise its profile, following the recent visit to Bratislava of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2026.
Quick takes on CEEasia developments
CHINA | Hungary’s ex-foreign minister Péter Szijjártó announced he will take on an executive position at BYD, the Chinese electric automaker. The move is now part of an active investigation over conflicts of interest, focusing on investment deals he negotiated while in office. As foreign minister, Szijjártó was involved in securing Chinese investments, including BYD, which received considerable state subsidies before announcing plans to establish a European factory and regional headquarters in Hungary.
INDIA | India and Poland agreed to strengthen cooperation in the MSME sector during bilateral talks in New Delhi on 15 July. The meeting was led by India’s MSME Secretary Bharat Khera and Poland’s Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Technology Michał Baranowski, with discussions focusing on technology, innovation, digital transformation, market access and business-to-business ties.
TAIWAN | Václav Havel Airport in Prague removed the Taiwanese flag from the new eGate displays installed there in May. The authorities provided no explanations and said they will move to use country codes instead of national flags for eligible countries, gradually updating the display from June onward.
JAPAN | Seven & I Holdings, the parent company of 7-Eleven, is in talks to acquire shares in the Polish convenience-store operator Zabka Group, as a first step to expand into the European market. The investment aims to create new growth opportunities as the company faces slower growth in its key markets, Japan and the US.
CHINA | On July 3rd, Hungarian authorities ordered cessation of all activity at the plant of Semcorp, a Chinese lithium-ion battery components supplier in Debrecen. This followed additional new safety inspections due to groundwater contamination, which revealed serious fire safety deficiencies. The development has generated friction between the city of Debrecen and Semcorp, with the latter launching its own investigation with independent experts.
CHINA | The Chinese Embassy in Slovakia hosted a celebratory reception marking the 99th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army. Defense attaché Wang Fei presented to the guests, including Slovak military and government officials, China’s official military and foreign policy doctrine and emphasized China’s intent to modernize its military and strengthen bilateral relations with Slovakia.
CHINA | Czech tractor manufacturer Zetor Tractors is ending production in Brno after 80 years and relocating manufacturing to India, citing the higher cost of production in Europe. The closure will affect 33 employees, although the company’s headquarters, development center, spare-parts business and distribution hub will remain in Brno.
