The European Mayor Who Doesn’t Want China’s Help With Virus
- Prague leader symbolizes skepticism of outreach by Beijing
- ‘From China’s perspective, it’s business,’ Zdenek Hrib says
Zdenek Hrib, Prague’s mayor, left, and Ko Wen-je, Tapei City’s mayor, in Prague, Czech Republic on Jan. 13.
Photographer: Petr David Josek/AP PhotoThis article is for subscribers only.
Since becoming mayor of Prague more than two years ago, Zdenek Hrib has repeatedly irked China by meeting dissidents, criticizing its treatment of ethnic minorities and promoting ties with Taiwan.
Now, the 38-year-old Pirate Party member is a symbol of the skepticism Beijing will have to overcome as it rushes to aid a Europe ravaged by a pandemic that began on Chinese soil. The Czech Republic was among numerous European countries to receive virus test kits and other medical supplies from China in recent weeks.