The Prague International Book Fair came to a close on May 18th with the flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) proudly displayed at the booth of the Mi Lu Publishing House for the entire four days without being taken down due to pressure from the Chinese Communist Party. The controversy regarding Chinese Communist Party’s pressure made headlines in the mainstream media in the Czech Republic, with reports indicating that individuals believed to be embassy staff from the Chinese embassy continuously took photos of the flag at the Mi Lu booth. When approached by reporters, they only said, “I have nothing to say.”
Over the course of four days, the Prague International Book Fair concluded with the Republic of China’s flag displayed at the Mi Lu Publishing House booth, standing firm despite pressure from the Chinese Communist Party to remove it.
After the fair ended, Jiang Zixuan, the chief editor of Mi Lu Multimedia, told journalists from Central News Agency, “Many people have been encouraging us these past few days. Czech readers have bought doughnuts to support us, Taiwanese people have come to show their support, and we have received constant messages of care from readers online, which we are very grateful and moved by.”
The issue of Chinese Communist Party’s pressure on the Prague International Book Fair also made it to the headlines in the mainstream media in the Czech Republic. According to iROZHLAS.cz, the founder of Mi Lu Publishing House in the Czech Republic, Tomáš Rízek, shared the reason for displaying the flag: “Originally, we did not plan to display the flag, but when they implied that Taiwan does not exist, we decided to change the design of our booth.”
Rízek told iROZHLAS.cz, “A woman came over, presumably a staff member of the Chinese Embassy, and dramatically took photos of us and the flag at least four times within 20 minutes. When my colleague asked her if she wanted to buy a book, she emphasized that she was not buying a book and not taking photos of the books.”
A reporter from iROZHLAS.cz interviewed the woman. Faced with questions from the reporter, the woman said she was not fluent in Czech and did not want to respond, adding in Chinese that she had nothing to say.
iROZHLAS.cz also interviewed Radovan Auer, the director of the Prague International Book Fair. Auer said, “I learned from Rízek that the Chinese repeatedly came to take photos. He generously handled the situation, for example, by offering books published in Chinese to them.”
Auer emphasized that the book fair is committed to freedom of speech, stating, “After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we were one of the first book fairs to prohibit institutions related to Russia from participating. Russia is a terrorist country, and our stance on this matter is clear; however, in other aspects, we strive to remain open.”
Reports indicated that the protest came from a representative organization of Chinese exhibitors, who before the fair began, demanded the removal of “Taiwanese Ministry of Culture” and “Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague” logos from the website, as they were listed as partners. They also requested the removal of the flag at the Mi Lu booth, but the organizers did not respond to these demands.
Auer stated, “When they found out that Rízek was exhibiting works here, it was a warning signal for them.”
Addressing the various “protests” from the Chinese side, Auer pointed out that such behavior is “Chinese characteristics,” as provocative actions have always come from the Chinese Communist Party, with organizers in the past receiving direct requests from the Chinese Embassy in Prague.
Auer also clarified that the issue is not a conflict between “China” and “Taiwan” exhibitors, but rather a confrontation between “Chinese exhibitors” and the “Prague International Book Fair.” Mi Lu Publishing House has participated in the fair for the fourth year, while Chinese publishers have returned after a period of absence.
Auer explained, “China used to participate in the fair for a long time, but when we invited Chinese dissidents to the book fair, they refused to come. This year, some of them returned, but they demanded that we ‘not mention Taiwan in the catalog.’ We rejected all their requests.”
(Source: Central News Agency)