Czech Intelligence Reveals China’s Covert Plan to Stage Car Crash Targeting Taiwan’s Vice President

Czech intelligence has exposed a chilling scheme by Chinese agents to intimidate Taiwan’s Vice President Hsiao Bi-Khim during her March 2024 visit to Prague. According to a report by Czech Radio, operatives from China’s embassy in Prague planned a staged car accident to unsettle Hsiao, marking an unprecedented move by Beijing on European soil, as described by Czech military intelligence chief Petr Bartovský.

The plot, which never progressed beyond planning, aimed to stage a “demonstrative kinetic action” by orchestrating a collision with Hsiao’s vehicle, Bartovský told Czech Radio. This visit was Hsiao’s first international trip since her election alongside President Lai Ching-te, heightening the significance of the revelation.

The scheme came to light after a Chinese diplomat ran a red light in central Prague while surveilling the Taiwanese delegation, according to the intelligence report. Military intelligence spokesperson Jan Pejšek noted that Chinese officials were actively gathering details on Hsiao’s schedule and monitoring her meetings with Czech political and public figures. While Hsiao was not deemed to be in immediate danger, Czech security forces were on high alert and prepared to act if needed.

Mariana Wernerová, spokesperson for the Czech Foreign Ministry, declined to elaborate due to the sensitive nature of the issue but confirmed that Prague had raised concerns with Beijing.

In Taiwan, Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo denounced the plot and expressed gratitude to Czech authorities for their vigilance, as reported by Focus Taiwan. Taiwanese lawmaker Kuang-ting Chen took to X to slam China’s actions, writing, “Using diplomatic immunity to undermine sovereignty and threaten safety violates international law. This incident lays bare Beijing’s authoritarian overreach and transnational repression.”

China views Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, as its territory, despite the island operating as a self-governing state with its own legal system, military, and international relations. Beijing has consistently pressured nations to avoid engaging with Taiwan, notably halting trade with Lithuania in 2022 after the country allowed Taiwan to open a representative office under its name, challenging China’s “One China” policy.