Czech news in brief for July 24: Friday's top afternoon headlines

Good afternoon, China and Chinese-Czech relations are still top of the news this Friday afternoon as the two countries might be heading for a prisoner swap. But also other hot topics, from the privatization of Prague Airport to assisted reproduction for single women.

Here's your afternoon wrap-up. We hope everyone enjoys the weekend and leave you in the very capable hands of our weekend editor Jason.

The Foreign and Justice Ministries will handle the case of the Czech citizen being currently detained in China, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka told journalists before leaving from his visit to Croatia. The announcement comes after Speaker of the House Tomio Okamura met in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Zhao Leji. According to media reports, Czech security services are considering the possibility that the Czech national was detained so that Beijing could exchange him with a Chinese citizen arrested at the end of June in Prague.

More context. In office since last December, the Czech government has vowed to improve and strengthen relations with China, which deteriorated under the previous government's support for Taiwan, but the tit-for-tat arrests have for now put those plans on hold.

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová today confirmed that the government could partially privatize Prague Airport at some point in the future, but added that no concrete steps were being taken at the moment. It comes just days after Prime Minister Andrej Babiš mentioned tentative plans to float a 40 percent stake of the airport on the stock exchange to boost investment and growth.

Not everyone on board. Airport trade unions have already announced a strike alert, citing both privatization plans and the nomination of a new director as main concerns. Opposition parties also criticized the plans, saying Czechia's main airport should be considered a key national infrastructure and remain under the full control of the state.

Plans put forward by Health Minister Adam Vojtěch to allow assisted reproduction for single women in Czechia has faced strong opposition during the latest inter-ministerial talks, RPI reports. The ministry's ethics commission also issued a divided opinion on the matter after Vojtěch turned to the advisory body for clarification.

The hidden angle. The new law is presented by the government as a way to boost Czechia's declining birth rate and right a wrong by allowing single women to access assisted reproduction - which they're not entitled to do today. But experts remind that a clear conflict of interest is brewing under the surface: through his Hartenberg Holding, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš controls over 60 IVF clinics in Czechia and across Europe, thus having a direct vested interest in expanding access.

Construction of the railway tunnel between Prague and Beroun will cost approximately CZK 76 billion, way more than the original estimates, the Railway Administration announced today. The massive project is still undergoing geological surveys and preparatory work, with construction of the 25-long-kilometer tunnel expected to start around 2032 and last for 12 years.

Huge investment. This is one of the largest transport infrastructure projects in the Czech Republic, and is meant to speed up travel between Prague and the west of the country, and beyond to Germany.

President Petr Pavel today hosted the two Czech finalists of this year's Wimbledom tennis tournament at the Prague Castle. "I want to thank you very much for reawakening that proper Czech patriotism for a moment. That may never last long, but it will always bring the nation together," the president said, wearing a Wimbledon cap.

Czech tennis shines bright. Linda Nosková beat compatriot Karolína Muchová in a thrilling all-Czech final earlier this month, becoming the youngest Wimbledon champion in 15 years.