Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the Czech Republic, which commenced on Monday, is of great significance to the relationship between the two countries. Since the two established diplomatic ties 67 years ago, this is the first time that a Chinese leader visits this Central European country.
The warming-up of Sino-Czech ties has attracted attention from inside and outside China. Besides expectations, some negative voices have been heard. Some criticized the Czech Republic for betraying European values in exchange for economic gains from China.
The Czech Republic used to hold the strongest anti-communist stance among the former members of the Warsaw Pact.
It experienced the Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution. Former president Václav Havel was critical of China's lack of democracy and human rights. In 2010, he showed up at the Chinese embassy in Prague in support of Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident. Therefore, some people are disdainful of the Czech Republic expanding ties with China.
But such criticism can easily be refuted. Sino-Czech relations are a vital part of China's relations with Europe, especially Central and Eastern Europe. In recent years, China-Europe relations have been booming, with frequent visits by leaderships from both sides and advance of economic cooperation.
The EU has been China's biggest trading partner for consecutive 12 years and China remains the EU's second biggest trading partner for 13 years.
According Eurostat, the EU's trade volume with China reached 520.7 billion euro ($581.4 billion) in 2016. Its export to China increased by 4 percent, and import from China increased 16 percent, compared with last year.
Central and Eastern European countries match with China's investment plans in Europe, which serve as part of its "Belt and Road" initiative.
The Czech Republic has wide influence in Central and Eastern Europe. China believes it can serve as a hub in expanding cooperation with the entire region and even the entire Europe.
Major European countries have established close trade ties with China, and there is no point saying that the Czech Republic is deviating from European values if it develops relations with China.
Prague is to blame for the stagnation of Sino-Czech ties in the past. Certain politicians, out of ideological prejudice, held hostility toward China. The new Czech leadership is trying to treat China objectively. This does not mean the country hails China's model, but indicates that Prague looks forward to cooperation with Beijing.
The Czechs joined the EU in hopes of living like the Germans. Although people's lives were greatly improved after the country joined the EU, it still lags far behind Germany.
Since the 2008 global financial crisis, the country has been bearing enormous pressure from an economic downturn and the public has imposed heavy pressures on politicians.
This makes Czech politicians adopt a pragmatic attitude, and China can make the country's economic progression possible.
Europe embraces tolerance, freedom, democracy, openness and prosperity. The cooperation between China and the Czech Republic is to benefit people from both sides.
If intimate bilateral ties can improve Czech livelihoods, which can serve as the foundation to make other values realized, it is the desired outcome of the cooperation. As an EU member, the development of the Czech Republic will also benefit other EU countries, which fits European values.
The cooperation is carried out within the EU framework, and the Chinese investment has no political strings attached. Blaming China and the countries that seek cooperation with China violates the values of openness and tolerance embraced by Europe.
China needs time to make changes. Deepening cooperation and understanding is the most important means to eliminate frictions. This is the consensus of the international community and the basis for Sino-Czech cooperation.
The author is an associate professor at the School of International Studies, Peking University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn Follow us on Twitter @GTopinion