What is happening?
The earlier visit of Taiwanese Vice President elected Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) to Prague in March last year (which we also reported on here) was accompanied by a series of scandalous incidents and diplomatic faux pas. These were caused primarily by disproportionately harsh reactions from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Prague. At the time Hsiao was on a tour of four European countries, meeting with government officials, lawmakers, civil society representatives and academics. The goal was to strengthen future ties between Taipei and its key European partners. Shortly afterwards, Czech media reported on a strange incident in which a Chinese diplomat – a member of the military section of the Chinese embassy, followed the convoy transporting Hsiao from Prague airport and nearly caused a traffic accident by running a red light. In recent days, nevertheless, new information about the case has come to light.
What is the broader picture?
The PRC sharply protested against Hsiao’s meetings with certain Czech government officials and constitutional representatives, calling for the “strict disciplining of certain politicians,” the “restriction of individual politicians,” and an end of their “bad behavior.” The Czech Republic responded at the time by summoning the Chinese ambassador to provide an explanation. Anonymous government sources stated that the Czech side was “considering expulsion” in response to the events. Ultimately, however, the case was swept under the rug. Prague refrained from a stronger diplomatic response, and the Chinese embassy declined to comment further on the incident.
The visit to Prague was the newly elected vice president’s first foreign trip. This high-ranking diplomat and politician, who refers to herself as a “cat warrior,” was followed immediately after landing by a suspicious vehicle. After almost causing a traffic accident by running a red light, the car was stopped by vice president’s bodyguards. The driver identified himself using a Chinese diplomatic passport, absurdly claiming he was “just picking up food from nearby Chinese restaurant.” The incident raised serious concerns on the Czech side, especially since Beijing considers the current vice president a “diehard separatist,” has placed her on the PRC sanctions list, and has been trying to discredit her foreign policy engagements as part of a broader campaign of transnational repression. The event was also exceptional, as Chinese embassies usually protest such trips by Taiwanese politicians through letters and diplomatic statements. However, there have also been past cases where Chinese diplomats physically attacked Taiwanese diplomats in other countries.
It has now also emerged that a carefully pre-planned Chinese operation aimed to physically confront the Taiwanese vice prezident through a staged “demonstrative traffic accident.” The director of Czech Military Intelligence, Petr Bartovský, claims that this diversionary “kinetic action targeting a protected individual” was orchestrated by the Chinese civil secret service, likely in cooperation with staff from the Office of the Military and Air Attaché at the PRC Embassy in Prague—i.e., the military section of the Chinese embassy, or officers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Military Intelligence spokesperson Jan Pejšek rightly adds that “these activities, which flagrantly violate obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, were carried out by individuals legalized in diplomatic positions at the Chinese Embassy in Prague.”
A spokesperson for the Taiwanese Presidential Office responded to the new revelations with a strong condemnation of “China’s unlawful, uncivilized & dangerous actions, which seriously violate international norms.” He also thanked the Czech side for ensuring the vice president’s safety, while urging the international community “to stand against transnational repression and surveillance by authoritarian regimes – threats that infringe upon other nations’ sovereignty”. Furthermore, after the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) reported on the new developments on its website on Thursday, it received a bomb threat stating that if the news regarding the report was not removed within a specified time limit, a bomb would be detonated.
Yang Pei-hua (楊佩樺), former executive director of the Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP) office in Kaohsiung, also raised suspicions that a proposed amendment to the election law, submitted in April last year by lawmakers from the Kuomintang (KMT), might have been part of a coordinated plan. The proposal stipulates that if the vice president were to die before taking office, the president-elect would also no longer be considered elected, and new elections would therefore have to be held.
Why is this important?
If the Chinese side had successfully physically confronted Hsiao Bi-khim and endangered her health or even her life, such an act could, according to the International Alliance on China, be considered an act of Chinese state- sponsored terrorism and transnational repression of foreign nationals abroad. Although Hsiao herself states that she refuses to be intimidated by such actions, it remains absolutely essential to publicly expose, condemn, and demand a strong diplomatic and political response from the targeted state. Given that the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs hesitated to respond firmly and has yet to produce the promised review of Czech-Chinese relations, the likelihood remains higher that similar incidents could occur again on Czech territory in the future.
