The Czech government is considering listing a military attache at the Chinese embassy in Prague as persona non grata after reports that they allegedly followed vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to the Central European country last month.
European Values Center for Security Policy director Jakub Janda on Friday cited Czech-language Web site Seznam Zpravy as reporting that a Chinese diplomat had been stopped by police while following Hsiao’s motorcade as it entered Prague from the airport.
The Czech Police Protective Service provided security for Hsiao, who was visiting at the invitation of Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil, the report said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Police stopped a car tailing Hsiao’s motorcade when it ran a red light, and upon inspection, they discovered that the driver was “a Chinese diplomat from the military section of the Chinese embassy in Prague,” it said, adding that the surveillance of Hsiao “continued to her hotel in Prague.”
Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavsky spoke with Chinese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Feng Biao (馮?) about the incident and “does not consider the issue to be closed,” the report said.
Citing Czech government sources, it said that Prague is considering listing the individual as persona non grata.
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that while in Europe, Hsiao had also met with Czech Chamber of Deputies Deputy Speaker Jan Bartosek, Lithuanian Seimas Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, Polish Senate Deputy Marshal Michal Kaminski, and lawmakers from Estonia and Latvia.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) yesterday said the alleged following of Hsiao was shameful conduct for a major world power.
The act underscored that Beijing is not only unwilling to play by established international rules, it disrespects the sovereignty of other nations, Wang said.
DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said it was not a small issue and likely not an isolated incident, urging other democratic countries to condemn Beijing’s actions.
Hsiao’s low-profile visit to Europe contrasted with the attention-grabbing tailing of the incoming vice president by China, and underscores Beijing’s efforts to stop at nothing to undermine Taipei’s efforts to broaden its international relations, she said.
DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) called Beijing’s actions deplorable, adding that the incident calls attention to China’s abuse of diplomatic immunity to conduct acts of espionage.
Taiwan should work with the international community to implement measures that would prevent China’s rampant interventionism and illegal tailing of individuals overseas, he said.
FALSE DOCUMENTS? Actor William Liao said he was ‘voluntarily cooperating’ with police after a suspect was accused of helping to produce false medical certificates Police yesterday questioned at least six entertainers amid allegations of evasion of compulsory military service, with Lee Chuan (李銓), a member of boy band Choc7 (超克7), and actor Daniel Chen (陳大天) among those summoned. The New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office in January launched an investigation into a group that was allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified medical documents. Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) has been accused of being one of the group’s clients. As the investigation expanded, investigators at New Taipei City’s Yonghe Precinct said that other entertainers commissioned the group to obtain false documents. The main suspect, a man surnamed
DEMOGRAPHICS: Robotics is the most promising answer to looming labor woes, the long-term care system and national contingency response, an official said Taiwan is to launch a five-year plan to boost the robotics industry in a bid to address labor shortages stemming from a declining and aging population, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The government approved the initiative, dubbed the Smart Robotics Industry Promotion Plan, via executive order, senior officials told a post-Cabinet meeting news conference in Taipei. Taiwan’s population decline would strain the economy and the nation’s ability to care for vulnerable and elderly people, said Peter Hong (洪樂文), who heads the National Science and Technology Council’s (NSTC) Department of Engineering and Technologies. Projections show that the proportion of Taiwanese 65 or older would
Democracies must remain united in the face of a shifting geopolitical landscape, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday, while emphasizing the importance of Taiwan’s security to the world. “Taiwan’s security is essential to regional stability and to defending democratic values amid mounting authoritarianism,” Tsai said at the annual forum in the Danish capital. Noting a “new geopolitical landscape” in which global trade and security face “uncertainty and unpredictability,” Tsai said that democracies must remain united and be more committed to building up resilience together in the face of challenges. Resilience “allows us to absorb shocks, adapt under
Nvidia Corp yesterday unveiled its new high-speed interconnect technology, NVLink Fusion, with Taiwanese application-specific IC (ASIC) designers Alchip Technologies Ltd (世芯) and MediaTek Inc (聯發科) among the first to adopt the technology to help build semi-custom artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure for hyperscalers. Nvidia has opened its technology to outside users, as hyperscalers and cloud service providers are building their own cost-effective AI chips, or accelerators, used in AI servers by leveraging ASIC firms’ designing capabilities to reduce their dependence on Nvidia. Previously, NVLink technology was only available for Nvidia’s own AI platform. “NVLink Fusion opens Nvidia’s AI platform and rich ecosystem for