
Zdeněk Hřib: the Czech mayor who defied China - metaphysics
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jul/03/zdenek-hrib-the-czech-mayor-who-defied-china-taiwan
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TomMarius
It is important to say that Taiwanese investment in the Czech Republic is
significantly higher than Chinese. That was basically the major argument his
side has used.

> Hřib’s rise from obscurity is striking because Czech mayors, unlike their US
> and Polish counterparts, are not directly elected.

Actually it's not striking at all from this very reason - it's the norm _due_
to indirect election. Not a single Prague major in the past 20 years was a
well known figure before they were elected.

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runn1ng
isn’t it mainly because of Foxconn which is slightly pro-PRC nowadays? but I
don’t know the data, just assuming, honestly

(Foxconn has large factories in Czech and is Czech’s 2nd biggest exporter,
after Skoda cars owned by german Volkswagen)

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TomMarius
Yes, I've visited the factories numerous times. You're probably right, but I
don't think their leaning to the PRC has any influence whatsoever. They have
_zero_ influence compared to Skoda, which is still seen as "the" national
company (and has 15 times more employees, which is crucial for their
influence).

