China, China ... whose fault is it? Thirty years of Czech-Chinese relations as a reflection of changes in Czech society
Abstract
Thirty years have passed since the fall of communism and Soviet-Russian hegemony in Central Europe, and thus since the restoration of state sovereignty and democracy in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, respectively. At the same time, we commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Czech Republic's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance and fifteen years of membership in the European Union, which represent our unequivocal anchor in the structures of Europe and the West in general, of which we are co-creators again.
The above-mentioned anniversaries are an important impetus for a critical assessment of the Czech thirties (1989-2019), which dates back to the annus mirabilis of 1989 and the events associated with it, especially the collapse of the monstrous Soviet-Russian empire (1989-1991). Currently, however, in the Czech Republic and the Central European region we are witnessing some uncertainty about the functioning of liberal democracy, the process of European integration and the development of Western civilization, although compared to other civilizations, the dialogical, reflexive and self-critical West is still a fairly decent civilization.
Also for these reasons, a publication was created with the Kundera title Nesamozřejmý národ? A reflection of the Czech thirties 1989-2019, which attempts to critically examine our current (not only political) situation and identify important development trends. It also avoids the formulation of visions and goals or even national interests, the fulfillment of which could be important for the good future of the Czech Republic and the Czechs as a confident political nation.
And all this in the awareness of the historical roots of some phenomena and at the same time in the European and Western (or global) context.