Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines announced that it would suspend its regular direct flights between Beijing and Prague beginning in March 2020. Although no official reason was given by the airline or the Czech Foreign Ministry, the move comes amidst worsening relations between the Chinese regime and the Czech Republic. In 2019, Prague withdrew from a partnership agreement with Beijing over the agreement’s reference to the one China policy, which recognizes Taiwan as part of PRC territory. A week prior to the announcement about the flight cancellations, Prague signed an agreement with Taiwanese capital Taipei, and Shanghai severed official contact with the city in retaliation. Hainan had been operating three direct flights between Beijing and Prague since 2015. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zuzana Stichova said that the Czech government doesn’t know “whether this is a temporary or definitive decision and whether this step is commercially or politically motivated”.