Czech officials have confirmed that Chinese operatives tracked Taiwan’s Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim during her official visit to Prague in March 2024. According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA), Chinese agents even planned a staged traffic collision with her vehicle—a move Czech intelligence described as an “unprecedented” provocation by Beijing on European soil.
Plot Foiled Before Execution
Petr Bartovsky, director of Czech Military Intelligence, told Czech Radio that the Chinese scheme to engineer an incident involving Hsiao “did not progress beyond the planning phase.” However, it demonstrated a disturbing level of aggression. He said local Czech operatives were prepared to act if intervention had been necessary, although the vice president was never in immediate danger.
Chinese Diplomat Ignored Traffic Rules
The report also revealed that a Chinese diplomat violated a red light while tailing Hsiao’s delegation. These surveillance activities occurred shortly after Hsiao and Taiwan’s then-president-elect Lai Ching-te won the election but before they officially took office.
Meeting With Czech Officials Angered Beijing
During her Prague trip, Hsiao met Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil and posed for photos with him—an act believed to have provoked China. Czech intelligence monitored the situation closely and later found that Chinese agents had been actively collecting details of her itinerary and interactions with local political figures.
Diplomatic Rules Breached
Jan Pejsek, spokesperson for the Czech Military Intelligence Service, told Czech Radio that China’s actions were close to “endangerment” and clearly overstepped diplomatic norms. He said, “The Chinese embassy blatantly breached its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.” The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed of this breach.
Taiwan Responds
In Taipei, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo addressed the matter in a press briefing. She said Taiwanese security services had been fully aware of the intelligence reports at the time of the visit. Kuo also thanked the Czech Republic for its strong support and the professional protection extended to Hsiao during her stay.
She condemned China’s moves, calling them “illegal actions” that violate international laws and “pose serious threats to global safety.”
