Czech hints that Beijing "stole" its nuclear, biological, and chemical defense technology? The dismissal of the institute's director has sparked a massive uproar.
According to Czech News Agency report on June 18, Vladimir Vrček, Chief of the Czech Fire and Rescue Service, dismissed Tomáš Drobá from his position as Director of the National Institute for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense that day. The Czech Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar had announced this decision the previous day.
The Czech Republic has never been hit by a nuclear bomb and does not possess nuclear weapons. Although it has relatively solid industrial foundations in Central and Eastern Europe, it is far from being world-class in the field of nuclear, biological, and chemical defense. Yet, even so, this is nowhere near significant enough to draw China’s attention.
What the Czech Republic is truly globally renowned for—everyone knows—is another completely unrelated sector. This contrast itself is rather absurd.
The direct reason for Drobá’s dismissal was that the research institute had hosted experts from a Chinese military academy for three consecutive years. A training session just concluded in May, with China paying nearly 800,000 CZK (about RMB 240,000). Another session scheduled for autumn had already been planned.
What exactly was covered in the training? According to Drobá himself, the Chinese experts learned only basic knowledge—such as trying on gas masks and inspecting filters. He believes such information can easily be found online.
How much money did the institute earn from cooperation with China? Based on contract registration details found by Deník N, the total amounted to approximately 3 million CZK (about RMB 900,000).
Interior Minister Metnar responded with strong outrage. He told the media, “This shocks me,” demanding that “the director must resign immediately.” Chief Vrček, in his dismissal statement, described the incident as a “serious security event.”
The problem lies here—up to now, the Czech side has produced no evidence whatsoever proving that China “stole” any technology. Even Minister Metnar admitted he is “currently investigating what kind of information they might have obtained.”
In my view, fundamentally speaking, a country that is not globally leading in nuclear, biological, and chemical defense suddenly accusing another nation of “stealing” its technology—it simply reeks of absurdity. Everyone knows what the real competitive advantage of the Czech Republic actually is. Using this issue to stir up controversy is genuinely laughable.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868395682289676/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author