How the Czechs checkmated China

Prague’s experience with Beijing also exposes the limitations and fragility of China’s global outreach

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, has long been in the crosshairs of competing great powers.

Once a crown jewel of the Holy Roman and Austro-Hungarian Empires, the city lies about 200 kilometres from Napoleon's great victory over the combined Austrian and Russian armies at Austerlitz. In the 20th century, the city witnessed occupation and invasion by the militaries of both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during the 20th century. But until recently it would have been difficult to envision the scenic Czech capital as an epicentre of the emerging global competition between the United States and China.

Starting around 2005 and accelerating after 2014, Czech leaders including President Miloš Zeman and a succession of prime ministers, mostly affiliated with the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), made concerted efforts to engage Beijing, resulting in an increase in trade, investment, and tourism.

Chinese companies went on a corporate buying spree in this post-Communist but highly industrialised European economy. Several Confucius Institutes were established, often at private or regional universities.

Czech media such as TV Barrandov and various magazines carried flattering articles about the Belt and Road Initiative. As part of what was heralded as a "golden period" in Czech ties with China, Xi Jinping himself visited in 2016, marking the first visit to Prague by a paramount Chinese leader. China, it seemed, was on the march.