Contact is taking a holiday!

South China Morning Post, 29 March 2016

Protests greeted President Xi Jinping as he arrived in the Czech capital Prague for a two-day visit.

Dozens of pro-Tibetan demonstrators scuffled with well-wishers who had turned out to welcome the head of state for a visit which has seen Czech President Milos Zeman come under fire for his pro-China policies.

Demonstrators put up a giant picture in a park near the airport of the Dalai Lama with the late Czech president Vaclav Havel, a former dissident and human rights activist, with the words: “These gentlemen are at home here.”

The image recalled the Tibetan spiritual leader’s frequent visits during Havel’s presidency from 1989 to 2003.

Dozens of Chinese flags hung up in the streets in Prague ahead of the trip were defaced over the weekend.

Although the ruined flags were replaced, dozens of demonstrators on Monday tried to hang Tibetan flags in their place, sparking scuffles with pro-Beijing supporters, the Czech news agency CTK reported.

Police said they had arrested 12 people.

Shouting also erupted in the park near the airport as Xi’s supporters covered up the Dalai Lama billboard with giant Chinese flags, sparking a heated argument with the pro-Tibetan demonstrators, the agency said.

Another rally against Beijing’s policy on Tibet is scheduled for Tuesday outside the Czech presidential seat, Prague Castle.

After Xi’s arrival on a 48-hour visit focused on business cooperation, the Chinese leader met with Zeman at his official residence just outside Prague where the two leaders also planted a ginkgo biloba tree, holding watering cans adorned with Czech and Chinese flags.

Xi said told Zeman during their talks that the two nations should boost infrastructure project cooperation, and push for the “One Belt One Road” project – which aims for infrastructure and industrial cooperation along the ancient Silk Road from China to Europe

“The bilateral ties of China and Czech have entered a new phase of seeing fast development with many achievements,” Xi was quoted as saying by the state-run news agency Xinhua.

Xi also said China was willing to step up cooperation with the European Union and hopes the EU will remain strong and unified.

Xi will be received at Prague Castle with military honours and have a private meeting with Zeman on Tuesday.

This will be followed by the signing of cooperation agreements between the two nations.