Czechs say China followed, planned intimidation of Taiwan vice-president
PRAGUE - 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. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
35 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Greek migration minister resigns citing EU subsidy probe
ATHENS - Greek migration minister Makis Voridis resigned on Friday after being implicated in a European Union investigation into the misuse of subsidies to Greek farmers but he denied any wrongdoing. The EU earlier this month imposed a 392.2 million-euro ($460.3 million) fine on Greece over a major scandal involving the mismanagement of agricultural subsidies by a government agency between 2016 and 2022. "Because my status as a suspect of committing criminal acts is not consistent with my status as a member of the government and in order not to hinder the government's work, I submit to you my resignation," Voridis said in a letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Mitsotakis accepted Voridis' resignation and a government spokesman said a replacement would be announced in the coming days. Another four government officials have also resigned, the spokesman said, without giving a reason for their decision. Greece's opposition Socialists said they would request the launch of a parliamentary investigation into Voridis' possible involvement in the subsidies scandal. Voridis served as agriculture minister from 2019 to 2021. European prosecutors recently charged dozens of Greek livestock farmers who received EU financial aid via the Greek government's payments agency OPEKEPE with making false declarations of ownership or leasing of pastureland. Last month Athens promised to overhaul OPEKEPE, which is in charge of paying out annual subsidies to farmers worth about 2.4 billion euros, by merging it with Greece's tax authorities, with international consultants assisting in the transition. The European Commission decided to reduce the farm subsidies Greece will receive in the coming years by 5%, reflecting its view that there has long been no proper supervision and operation of the subsidy management model. Greece had expected to receive about 1.9 billion euros in direct EU subsidies next year. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
38 minutes ago
- CNA
China confirms trade deal framework reached with United States
BEIJING: China confirmed on Friday (Jun 27) details on the framework of a trade deal with the United States, saying Washington would lift "restrictive measures" while Beijing would "review and approve" items under export controls. A top priority for Washington in talks with Beijing had been ensuring the supply of the rare earths essential for products including electric vehicles, hard drives and national defence equipment. China, which dominates global production of the elements, began requiring export licences in early April, a move widely viewed as a response to blistering tariffs imposed by Trump. The two sides agreed after talks in Geneva in May to temporarily lower steep tit-for-tat tariffs on each other's products. China also committed to easing some non-tariff countermeasures, but US officials later accused Beijing of violating the pact and slow-walking export licence approvals for rare earths. They eventually agreed on a framework to move forward with their Geneva consensus following talks in London this month. A White House official also told AFP on Thursday that Donald Trump's administration and China had "agreed to an additional understanding for a framework to implement the Geneva agreement". That clarification came after the US president told an event that Washington had "just signed" a deal relating to trade with China, without providing further details. Beijing confirmed on Friday that an agreement had been reached. "It is hoped that the United States and China will meet each other halfway," a spokesperson for the commerce ministry said in a statement. It said both sides had "further confirmed the details of the framework". Under the deal, China "will review and approve applications for the export control items that meet the requirements in accordance with the law". "The US side will correspondingly cancel a series of restrictive measures against China," the commerce ministry said. Separately on Thursday, the White House also indicated that Washington could extend a July deadline when steeper tariffs affecting dozens of economies are due to kick in. Trump imposed a sweeping 10 per cent levy on most trading partners this year but also unveiled - then halted - higher rates on dozens of economies while negotiations took place. That pause is set to expire on Jul 9. When asked if there would be another delay, press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: "Perhaps it could be extended, but that's a decision for the president to make. "The deadline is not critical. The president can simply provide these countries with a deal if they refuse to make us one by the deadline." This means Trump can "pick a reciprocal tariff rate that he believes is advantageous for the United States", she added.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
UK man jailed for 40 years for teenager's murder in London sword rampage
FILE PHOTO: A floral tribute and photograph placed behind the coffin of Daniel Anjorin, 14, following his funeral service at Jubilee Church in Ilford, east London, Britain. Jonathan Brady/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo LONDON - A man who killed a 14-year-old boy in London during a rampage with a sword was on Friday jailed for a minimum of 40 years. Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, nearly decapitated schoolboy Daniel Anjorin during a 20-minute series of attacks in Hainault, east London, in April last year, in which he also assaulted several other people including police officers. Prosecutors said Monzo killed and skinned his cat before driving his van at a pedestrian and slicing him with the sword, murdering Daniel and then trying to murder a police officer. He then broke into a house and attacked a sleeping couple in bed before leaving after their child began to cry, finally wounding a second police officer before his arrest. Monzo said he did not remember having carried out the attacks and his lawyers argued he should not be found guilty of murder as he was suffering from cannabis-induced psychosis. Prosecutor Tom Little, however, argued that "self-induced intoxication" did not provide a defence to the charge of murder and Monzo was convicted of Daniel's murder by a jury. He was also convicted of other charges, including three counts of attempted murder, for which there is no partial defence of diminished responsibility. Judge Joel Bennathan told Monzo he would have jailed him for a minimum of 50 years, but reduced the sentence to 40 years "to recognise your mental ill health and previous good character". REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
