Czech lower house speaker Tomio Okamura has departed on a six-day visit to China leading a delegation of roughly 40 business representatives, airport officials, and government staff. The trip, proposed by the Confederation of Industry, aims to negotiate visa-free travel, restore direct air links, and arrange an exhibition of the Terracotta Army at Prague's National Museum.
The visit unfolds against a tense backdrop: a Czech businessman was detained in China in late June 2026 on suspicion of endangering state security. Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said that case is unrelated to a Chinese national suspected of espionage in the Czech Republic. Okamura met with intelligence service leadership before departing.
Trade ties remain lopsided — Czech exports to China reached 69.3 billion crowns in 2025, while Chinese exports were nearly 13 times larger, dominated by electrical equipment. Pirate Party leader Zdeněk Hřib criticised the trip.