Czech Intelligence Reveals China Plan to Crash Into Taiwan Vice President-Elect
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Chinese agents operating out of Beijing's embassy in Prague planned to stage a car collision targeting Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim during her visit to the Czech capital last year, according to an explosive report.
The Czech Republic's military intelligence chief condemned the plot to intimidate Hsiao, which was ultimately not carried out, describing it as "unprecedented" by China in Europe.
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese embassy in Prague via emailed request for comment.
Why It Matters
China claims Taiwan—formally known as the Republic of China—as its territory, though the island has never been governed by the Chinese Communist Party. Taiwan functions as a de facto sovereign state, with its own legal system, military and international relations.
China has frequently pressured other countries not to engage with Taiwanese officials. In 2022, China temporarily blocked trade with Lithuania after the Baltic nation allowed Taiwan to open a representative office using the name "Taiwan," a move Beijing viewed as a challenge to its "One China" policy.
What To Know
Chinese agents plotted a "demonstrative kinetic action" targeting Hsiao during her March 2024 visit to Prague, her first trip abroad since she and President Lai Ching-te's election victory, according to Czech military intelligence cited by public broadcaster Czech Radio.
Agency director Petr Bartovský told Czech Radio that the plan involved staging a collision with the car carrying Hsiao, though he confirmed the attempt "did not go beyond the planning stage." However, a Chinese diplomat ran a red light in central Prague while trying to maintain surveillance of the Taiwanese delegation.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, left and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, right, wave after his inaugural speech after being sworn into office at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei , Taiwan, on May 20, 2024.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, left and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, right, wave after his inaugural speech after being sworn into office at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei , Taiwan, on May 20, 2024.
Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images
Military intelligence spokesperson Jan Pejšek said China's actions were bordering on endangering Hsiao and that Chinese officials had been "gathering information about her schedule, and attempting to document her meetings with prominent figures from the Czech political and public spheres."
The vice president was not considered to be in real danger, however, as Czech security forces were present and ready to intervene if necessary, per the report.
Czech Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mariana Wernerová declined to provide details, citing the sensitivity of the case, but confirmed the ministry had communicated with Beijing about the events.
Taiwan Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo condemned China's actions, thanked Czech authorities and said Taiwanese security was aware of the intelligence at the time, Focus Taiwan reported.
What People Are Saying
Jan Pejšek, spokesperson for the Czech Military Intelligence Service, told Czech Radio: "These activities, which flagrantly violate the obligations arising from the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, were carried out, among other things, by persons legalized in diplomatic positions at the Chinese Embassy in Prague."
Kuang-ting Chen, a lawmaker in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Hiding behind diplomatic immunity to interfere with another nation's sovereignty and endanger personal safety is a flagrant violation of international law. This incident once again exposes Beijing's export of authoritarianism and pattern of transnational repression."
What's Next
The intelligence report is likely to boost pro-Taiwan sentiment in Prague, already strong in light of Chinese pressure campaigns in recent years.
Asked to comment on the report Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the Czech Republic had seriously violated the One China Principle by allowing "Taiwan independence hardliners" such as Hsiao to visit.
"I want to emphasize that Chinese diplomatic personnel have always adhered to the laws and regulations of the host country. China urges the relevant parties not to be provoked or manipulated by Taiwan independence separatist forces, and not to create unnecessary trouble or malicious hype that undermines bilateral relations," he added.
President Lai's Beijing-skeptic administration is expected to continue sending Taiwanese delegations overseas to shore up ties with friendly countries.
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