Taiwan鈥檚 vice president said she would not be intimidated by Beijing after the government accused Chinese embassy staff of planning to ram her car during an official visit to Europe.
Taiwan鈥檚 top China policy body, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), on Friday said Hsiao Bi-khim鈥檚 motorcade was surveilled and followed in a ploy to be rammed during a visit to the Czech Republic in March 2024.
Citing a Czech intelligence agency report, the council said staff from the Chinese Embassy in Prague were behind the incident.
Czech military intelligence spokesman Jan Pejsek told AFP on Sunday that Hsiao was targeted by 鈥減ersons legalised in diplomatic positions at the Chinese Embassy in Prague鈥.
He said they tailed her and sought information about Hsiao鈥檚 programme and meetings with Czech officials.
鈥淲e even recorded attempts by the Chinese civil secret service to create conditions for a demonstrative kinetic action against a protected person, which, however, did not go beyond the preparatory stage,鈥 Pejsek added.
Hsiao, who was vice president-elect at the time of the trip, posted on social media on Saturday, that she 鈥渉ad a great visit to Prague & thank the Czech authorities for their hospitality & ensuring my safety鈥.
鈥淭he CCP鈥檚 unlawful activities will NOT intimidate me from voicing Taiwan鈥檚 interests in the international community,鈥 she said.
鈥淭aiwan will not be isolated by intimidation,鈥 she added.
鈥榁iolent nature鈥
Like most countries, Prague does not have official diplomatic relations with Taipei.
China claims Taiwan as its territory and in recent years, has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around the self-ruled island. It has also sought to erase Taiwan from the international stage by poaching its diplomatic allies and blocking it from global forums.
Taipei said on Friday that 鈥渢he Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic followed, conducted surveillance on, and even attempted to ram the motorcade, seriously threatening the personal safety of Vice President Hsiao and her entourage鈥.
It added the incident exposed CCP鈥檚 鈥渧iolent nature鈥 and lack of 鈥渟incerity鈥 in communication.
A Taiwan security official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said it was a 鈥渢ypical case鈥 of China鈥檚 鈥渢ransnational repression鈥 against dissidents or those who criticise China.
鈥淐hina uses legal grey areas to harass, threaten or oppress their targets,鈥 the official said.
See also: Czech foreign minister summons Chinese ambassador over cyberattack
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), an international group that has challenged Beijing鈥檚 human rights record, said in a statement signed by 51 lawmakers from nearly 30 countries that it supported Hsiao and 鈥淭aiwanese citizens who may be subject to coercion by the Chinese state while travelling abroad鈥.
China鈥檚 foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Friday that Prague had violated the 鈥淥ne-China principle鈥 and its political commitments to China by allowing Hsiao, who it called a diehard 鈥淭aiwan independence鈥 activist, to visit.
鈥淐hinese diplomats always abide by the laws and regulations of host countries,鈥 he said. He urged other countries not to be exploited by 鈥淭aiwan independence鈥 separatists to 鈥渟tir up troubles鈥 and undermine the relations with China.
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