Beijing threatened to retaliate against Czech companies with operations in China if a senior Czech lawmaker went ahead with a planned visit to Taiwan, according to a diplomatic letter seen by Reuters.

The Chinese government threatened to retaliate against leading Czech companies if a senior Czech official made good on a planned visit to Taiwan, according to a diplomatic message reviewed by Reuters.

The Czech Senate head declared himself a Taiwanese in a speech at Taiwan's legislature on Tuesday, channeling the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy who in 1963 famously called himself a ...