What is happening?
The Czech national baseball team recently played a series of exhibition games in Tokyo and Taipei – mighty opponents whom the World Baseball Softball Confederation currently ranks first and second globally. Although the Czech team comprises primarily amateur players, the friendly games against professional Taiwanese and Japanese squads are competitive. The Czech team quickly became a sensation in 2023 when it qualified for the Tokyo-held World Baseball Classic, where it competed with the global professional elite with dignity, even defeating the People’s Republic of China. During this year’s Asia junket, the Czech baseball stars were even received by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te (賴清德). This high-profile interaction and popularity of baseball in East Asia point to the importance of sports diplomacy as a powerful tool to boost public diplomacy efforts – particularly with partners such as Taiwan, which suffers from the “absurdity” of its international status.
What is the broader picture?
One of the ways in which we see the manifestation of the cultural connection between Taiwan, Japan, and the United States is these nations’ shared passion for baseball. As Prague embarks on its own iteration of a pivot to the Indo-Pacific political relations, it also emerges as the lead European partner in Taiwanese and Japanese baseball affairs – a true “臥虎藏龍,” an unexpected newcomer from a relatively small far-away country. The Czech baseball 2023 Cinderella story in Tokyo has put Czech baseball on a global map – even when the nation has fewer baseball players than an average Japanese or American city. As a result, Taiwanese and Japanese national baseball teams came to Prague this June to play at Czech Baseball Week, one of the oldest European baseball tournaments. Japanese professional baseball establishment boosted its cooperation with Czechia, sending its national team manager to Prague, signing a first Czech baseball player to a professional contract and setting up “Czech Baseball Day” as part of Japanese professional league.
Taiwan is also realizing the diplomatic potential of Czech baseball links to boost bilateral political ties, as evidenced by the meeting between the Czech baseball team and President Lai. Importantly, the recent games in Taipei also allowed “Taiwan to be Taiwan” when interacting with Czech stakeholders. Given the exhibition setting, the Taiwanese team played in uniforms labeled “Taiwan” without having to wear the usual “Chinese Taipei” jerseys, a forced compromise under International Olympic Committee rules.
Why does it matter?
The People’s Republic of China consistently seeks to shrink Taiwan’s international space and its visibility in the global arena. Professional sports are not free from Beijing’s bullying. As Beijing balks at the use of the word Taiwan, athletes from the island country have competed under the name “Chinese Taipei” since 1981 to avoid presenting themselves as representatives of a sovereign nation. Yet, using the name “Taiwan” in baseball games of national teams aligns with broader societal efforts to explain to the world that Taiwan is already sovereign and de facto independent. Czechia is Taiwan’s best friend in Europe, given that Prague has the most politically significant relations with Taipei among European democracies. People-to-people ties are a crucial foundation for all other engagements. Therefore, adding baseball as another layer of the already robust width and depth of bilateral relations is an obvious choice.
Czechia can expand this truly win-win partnership in sports cooperation. (Even if we still hope to win individual games!) The Czech baseball community is relatively small, with around 4000 players, but it ranks among the best in Europe. Training, exhibition, or spring training games with Taiwanese professional counterparts are exactly what Czech baseball would appreciate, given that Taiwan is among global baseball leaders and Taiwanese weather conditions provide a perfect practice environment. The direct flights between Prague and Taipei would further facilitate this cooperation. Consequently, while both sides seek ways to bolster their exchanges further, Prague should enthusiastically tell Taipei, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game!”
