Taiwan’s vice president went to Europe. China followed and ‘planned to stage car crash’
“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.
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The Czech Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Chinese ambassador over the incident at the time but did not comment further on Friday.
“This is the CCP’s criminality on display for the whole world to see. This isn’t diplomacy, it’s coercion,” the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee wrote on X.
Taiwan’s China-policymaking 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.
A senior Taiwan security official briefed on the matter told Reuters the incident was an example of “transnational repression” by China that the European Union was currently paying close attention to.
“This is a problem that everyone should pay attention to,” the official requesting anonymity said, adding that many government officials around the world were threatened by China upon visits made by Taiwanese officials or politicians to their countries.
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.”
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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.
China views separately governed Taiwan as its own territory and has ramped up its military and political pressure in recent years. Taiwan says only its people can decide their future and vows to defend its freedom and democracy.
Reuters
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