MLADA FRONTA DNES, 21. 3. 1997, 2nd page

"The Automobile Factory Got Frightened By Flying the Tibetan Flag".

The noble ideals and commercial interests have unintentionally encountered in Koprivnice, North Moravia. The leadership of the Automobile Factory TATRA got angry that the City Council hung up the tibetan flag on the City Hall a few days ago. The factory is afraid that the support of the independence of Tibet could provoke Chinese partners, who are important customers of TATRA cars.

The City Hall of Koprivnice joined other cities last week and hung up the flag of Tibet to support its effort for independence on China. "I admit that it was not very tactical regarding the factory", said the secretary of City Hall Josef Jirik. The spokesman of the factory TATRA Ivo Celechovsky indicated the flying of the tibetan flag to be a useless and risky step. He stated that Chinese could postpone or cancel some of the prepared contracts. "Paradoxically, some residents of Koprivnice could lose their job because of unprudent support for democracy in Tibet", said Celechovsky.

The Press Secretary of Chinese Embassy in Prague, Xiang Lin Xu, said that he was very surprised by flying of the Tibetan flag in Koprivnice. "We have very good relationship with the factory as well as with the City Hall thanks to our long-termed commercial contacts. We will speak about the flying of tibetan flag in Koprivnice with the Ambassador. However, it is sure that such actions do not prosper at all to the commercial, but also to other relationships between our countries," said the Secretary. However, he refused to comment possible retaliatory steps of China.