By Jan Lopatka
PRAGUE (Reuters) -Chinese diplomats and secret service followed Taiwan’s Vice-President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim and planned to intimidate her physically when she visited Prague last year, Czech military intelligence said on Friday.
Hsiao visited the Czech Republic in March 2024. Prague does not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan but has fostered warm relations with the democratically-governed island, which China views as its own territory.
Czech media reported last year that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light when following her car. Czech public radio news website irozhlas.cz said on Thursday that the Chinese had also planned to stage a demonstrative car crash.
Czech Military Intelligence spokesman said Chinese diplomats in Prague had taken actions that violated diplomatic rules.
“This consisted of physically following the vice-president, gathering information on her schedule and attempts to document her meetings with important representatives of the Czech political and public scene,” spokesman Jan Pejsek said in emailed comments to Reuters.
“We even recorded an attempt by the Chinese civil secret service to create conditions to perform a demonstrative kinetic action against a protected person, which however did not go beyond the phase of preparation.”
A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, commenting on the matter, denied any wrongdoing by Chinese diplomats and also said the Czech Republic had interfered in China’s internal affairs by allowing Hsiao’s visit to go ahead.
The Czech Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Chinese ambassador over the incident at the time but did not comment further on Friday.
TAIWAN PROTESTS
Taiwan’s China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said the Chinese actions “seriously threatened the personal safety of Vice President Hsiao and her entourage”.
“The Mainland Affairs Council today protested and strongly condemned the Chinese communist’s bad behaviour and demanded that the Chinese side should immediately explain and publicly apologise,” it said.
In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said: “Chinese diplomats have always abided by the laws and regulations of the countries in which they are stationed.”
“China urges the parties concerned not to be provoked and exploited by separatist forces for Taiwan independence, and to not make a fuss over nothing, engage in malicious speculation, and interfere with and undermine the relations between the two countries.”
Hsiao assumed office, along with President Lai Ching-te, on May 20 last year.
Czech relations with China have cooled in recent years. The Czechs accused China in May of being behind a cyberattack on the foreign ministry.
Czech politicians have visited Taiwan and former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen visited Prague last October.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague, Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Joe Cash in BeijingEditing by Gareth Jones)
