Czech Republic's Foreign Relations with China and the US
The Czech foreign minister has declared that China's 14+1 initiative, an exclusive club for engaging with Eastern and Central European countries, is defunct. This is a significant blow to Beijing's efforts to revive relations with former Soviet states. The initiative has withered as Central European governments have grown increasingly wary of China as a result of Beijing's alliance with Moscow. The Czechs have been particularly critical of China since 2020, when Beijing punished Czech piano exporters in retaliation for a visit by Czech lawmakers to Taiwan.