Former Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib from the Czech Republic has maintained a close relationship with Taiwan, having visited the island nation multiple times during his tenure. He played a key role in facilitating the successful breeding of pangolins from Taiwan at the Prague Zoo. In a recent interview with a Central News Agency journalist, he revealed his plans to visit Taiwan again in November this year, emphasizing that compared to the Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan is a “more reliable partner” and “we are much closer friends.” Taiwan is also considered an important source of investment for the Czech Republic.
At 45 years old, Zdeněk Hřib currently serves as the chairman of the Pirate Party in the Czech Republic and is a member of the Chamber of Deputies. He served as the Mayor of Prague from 2018 to 2023, actively promoting exchanges between Prague and Taiwan. During his tenure, Taipei and Prague established a sister city relationship, and he facilitated achievements such as cooperation ranging from pangolin breeding to commercial investments.
Reflecting on the cooperation between Prague and Taiwan during his mayoral term, Hřib expressed to the Central News Agency journalist that one of the most satisfying achievements was the successful breeding of pangolins from the Taipei Zoo at the Prague Zoo.
Hřib mentioned that pangolins are very popular in Prague and expressed gratitude to the Taipei Zoo staff for their assistance in this successful breeding project. The pangolin couple, Guo Bao and Run Hou Tang, arrived in the Prague Zoo in 2022 and gave birth to “Šiška” in 2023, making the Prague Zoo the first in Europe to successfully breed pangolins, garnering international attention.
He emphasized, “This is a prestigious achievement in the European zoo community,” and highlighted that this success not only familiarized the people of Prague with this unique animal but also symbolized the sisterly bond between Taipei and Prague.
On another note, Hřib pointed out that while in the past, the Chinese Communist Party had promised to provide pandas to the Prague Zoo, this plan never materialized despite being proposed during agreements between Prague and Beijing. In contrast, cooperation between Taiwan and Prague has not only materialized but has also yielded concrete results in areas like pangolin breeding.
Hřib stated, “This is another proof that the (Chinese) country is not a reliable partner; compared to this, Taiwan is a much more reliable partner, as well as a significant investor in the Czech Republic, and we are much closer friends.”
Regarding the relationship between Taiwan and the Czech Republic, Hřib believes that the cooperation between the two countries goes beyond city exchanges, with Taiwan being an important source of investment for the Czech Republic.
Looking forward to his planned visit to Taiwan again this year, he expressed his excitement. The details of the trip are still being arranged, but he is confident that it will take place. He stated, “I look forward to meeting my friends in Taiwan.”
Hřib’s connection with Taiwan began during his student days. While studying at Charles University Medical School in 2005, he came to Taiwan as an exchange student, interning at Chang Gung Hospital in Linkou, leaving a lasting impression of Taiwan on him.
After assuming the position of Mayor of Prague in 2018, Hřib actively promoted exchanges between Taiwan and the Czech Republic. In March 2019, he visited Taiwan for the first time in his capacity as mayor, and in August 2020, he visited Taiwan again with the Chairman of the Czech Senate, Miloš Vystrčil.