Overview

• On August 12, China’s Foreign Ministry announced it will cease all diplomatic contacts with President Petr Pavel and lodged a formal protest over his private meeting with the Dalai Lama in Ladakh.
• Beijing says the July visit to congratulate the 14th Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday violated political commitments and harmed China’s territorial integrity.
• The Czech presidential office, which holds a largely ceremonial role, described the meeting as private and has not provided a detailed response to China’s protest.
• Pavel’s encounter was the first time a sitting head of state visited India to meet the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, prompting Beijing’s predictable ire.
• The incident deepens existing tensions between Prague and Beijing, following disputes over Czech ties with Taiwan, criticism of China’s human-rights record and alleged cyberattacks earlier this year.