Czech officials have confirmed that Chinese agents surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March 2024 and planned a collision with her car as part of an “unprecedented” provocation by Beijing in Europe.
Czech Military Intelligence learned that their Chinese counterparts attempted to create conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, which “did not go beyond the preparation stage,” agency director Petr Bartovsky told Czech Radio in a report yesterday.
In addition, a Chinese diplomat ran a red light to maintain surveillance of the Taiwanese delegation, the report said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
These attempts took place during Hsiao’s first overseas trip after she and then President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) won the presidential election but before they were sworn in.
During the visit, Hsiao met and took photos with Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil, a meeting said to have angered China.
Local intelligence agents were prepared to intervene if necessary, according to Czech Radio, adding that Hsiao was never in immediate danger.
Jan Pejšek, spokesperson for the Czech Military Intelligence Service, described the Chinese officials’ actions as “bordering on endangering her, gathering information about her schedule, and attempting to document her meetings with prominent figures from the Czech political and public spheres,” according to Czech Radio.
The Chinese embassy “flagrantly violated obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” he added.
The agency said such a provocative attempt was “unprecedented” by China in Europe and the matter was reported to the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
However, Mariana Wernerova, spokesperson for the Czech Foreign Ministry, told Czech Radio the ministry “cannot comment on the details of this or other similarly sensitive cases,” though they have communicated with the Chinese side on the matter.
The Chinese embassy did not respond to questions submitted by the press.
In response to the report, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said at a press conference in Taipei on Thursday that Taiwan’s security agencies had full knowledge of the intelligence at the time. She also expressed gratitude to the Czech Republic for its strong support and the professional protection provided during Hsiao’s visit.
Kuo added that Taiwan strongly condemns China’s unlawful actions, which violate international norms and pose serious risks to the international community.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday said that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to mobilize the Japanese armed forces under its security laws. Takaichi made the remarks during a parliamentary session while responding to a question about whether a "Taiwan contingency" involving a Chinese naval blockade would qualify as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun. "If warships are used and other armed actions are involved, I believe this could constitute a survival-threatening situation," Takaichi was quoted as saying in the report. Under Japan’s security legislation,
RSS