Chinese agents plotted ramming attack on Taiwan vice-president in Europe
Chinese agents plotted to ram Taiwan 's vice president's car when she was in the Czech Republic last year, it has been alleged.
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council [MAC], which oversees the country's China policy, claimed Hsiao Bi-khim's motorcade was followed, surveilled and nearly hit by another vehicle during a trip to Prague in March 2024.
The 53-year-old, who was then vice president-elect, has an American mother and is a member of the ruling centre-Left Democratic Progressive Party.
She vowed that the incident would not stop her from advocating for Taiwan's interests.
'I had a great visit to Prague and thank the Czech authorities for their hospitality and ensuring my safety,' Ms Hsiao said on Saturday.
She added: 'The CCP's [Chinese Communist Party] unlawful activities will NOT intimidate me from voicing Taiwan's interests in the international community.
'Taiwan will not be isolated by intimidation.'
Citing a Czech intelligence report, the MAC said China's embassy staff in Prague were behind the alleged ramming attempt.
Czech media reported last year that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light while following Ms Hsiao's car.
Taipei said on Friday that 'the 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'.
It added that the alleged incident exposed the Chinese Communist Party's 'violent nature' and lack of 'sincerity' during communications with Taiwan.
'Legal grey'
A Taiwanese security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was a 'typical case' of China's 'transnational repression' against dissidents or critics of China.
' China uses legal grey areas to harass, threaten or oppress their targets,' they added.
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international group that has challenged Beijing's human rights record, spoke out in support of Ms Hsiao.
In a statement signed by 51 lawmakers from nearly 30 countries, it expressed its backing for 'Taiwanese citizens who may be subject to coercion by the Chinese state while travelling abroad'.
Prague does not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, as not formally recognising the country is a requirement for any nation wanting diplomatic relations with Beijing.
However, it has strengthened its unofficial ties with the island in the face of mounting Chinese pressure.
Beijing's foreign ministry on Friday claimed that the Czech Republic had violated its political commitments to China by allowing Ms Hsiao to visit.
Branding her a die-hard 'Taiwan independence' activist, Guo Jiakun, Beijing's ministry spokesman, said Prague had violated the 'one-China principle'.
He added: 'Chinese diplomats always abide by the laws and regulations of host countries,' before urging other nations not to undermine relations with Beijing by allowing Taiwanese separatists to 'stir up troubles'.
Beijing continues to ramp up military pressure on Taiwan and hold large-scale exercises around the island in what many view as preparations for a blockade or invasion.
In May, Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, warned that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan 'could be imminent', claiming Beijing was preparing to use military force and upend the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.
He called on US allies and partners in Asia to upgrade their defences and said Washington was 'reorienting toward deterring aggression by Communist China'.
As part of an ongoing campaign to isolate Taiwan, China has sought to stop the island making inroads on the international stage by courting its diplomatic allies and blocking its global forums.
This latest row comes after Mark Rutte, the Nato chief, warned world leaders last week that Russia could help China invade Taiwan and urged them to 'stand ready'.
He told a Nato summit press conference in Amsterdam that the 'Chinese will try anything with Taiwan', adding: 'No doubt he will call his junior partner, Mr Putin, and make sure that [he].. will keep [Europe] busy.'
The remarks came after Nato members agreed to increase their defence spending target to 5 per cent of GDP, in line with the demands of Donald Trump.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
China issues a dark warning to Anthony Albanese: 'This should never have been in question'
China has warned Anthony Albanese not to increase defence spending, claiming both countries are 'friends, not foes'. Xiao Qian, China's top diplomat in Australia, has criticised US President Donald Trump 's push for Western allies to increase defence spending. Following last week's NATO meeting, all member nations - apart from Spain - agreed to lift defence spending to five per cent of GDP over the next decade. Trump, who has threatened Spain with retaliatory tariffs, has signalled he expects Australia to follow suit by increasing defence expenditure, but Albanese is so far holding firm. Now, Mr Qian has ramped up the pressure on the Australian Prime Minister to keep military spending down to its current level, which aims to reach 2.3 per cent of GDP over the next ten years. Without explicitly naming the United States, Mr Qian slammed the 'so-called China threat narrative', while painting Chinese President Xi Jinping as a man of peace. 'Such rhetoric and actions are steeped in Cold War mentality, blatantly creating division, fuelling a global arms race as well as threatening world peace and stability, which warrants our high vigilance,' he wrote in The Australian. 'By playing up international and regional tensions and slandering China's normal military build-up, these countries are merely seeking nothing but excuses to drastically grow their military spending, even arbitrarily reaching beyond its geographical scope and mandate.' Mr Qian accused the US of wanting to 'maintain their hegemony' by stifling the 'development and advancement of countries such as China'. He also sought to appeal to Albanese's domestic pressures, claiming an increase in defence spending would come at a high price, especially during the cost of living crisis. 'Dramatically increasing military spending places a heavy fiscal burden on the countries involved, undermining their efforts to boost economies and improve livelihoods, and further straining a global economy already struggling with weak recovery,' he said. Mr Qian also claimed China had 'never initiated a war or occupied an inch of a foreign land' over the last 70 years - despite invading Vietnam in 1979. 'China unwaveringly adheres to a defensive national defence policy, with military spending accounting for just 1.5 per cent of its GDP,' he added. 'It is far below the global average and paling in comparison to certain hegemons or their allies and partners.' Mr Qian talked up China and Australia's reliance on one another as trade partners - a relationship that has thawed significantly under Albanese's Labor administration. 'As I often hear from Australian friends, "we have hundreds of reasons to be friends, and none to be enemies",' he wrote. Mr Qian added that China and Australia are 'friends, not foes'. 'This should never have been in question,' he said. 'China has been always developing bilateral friendship and co-operation with the utmost sincerity and patience, and we hope Australia will work with us in the same direction.' Trump indicated last week that he expects his allies in the Asia-Pacific - including Australia - to increase their defence funding in line with NATO members. 'Yeah, look, if our allies in Europe and our NATO allies can do that, I think our allies and our friends in the Asia Pacific region can do it as well,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday. Ms Leavitt said she would leave the 'specific relations and discussions' for individual countries to Trump. This means that Albanese may be pressured to increase defence spending if he hopes to secure a carve-out from the punishing tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. Foreign Minister Penny Wong is heading to Washington this week for 'Quad' talks with her counterparts from the US, India and Japan. She is expected to hold one-on-one meetings with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 'The United States is our closest ally and principal strategic partner,' Senator Wong said.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Haitang: China is cracking down on young women who write gay erotica
"I've been warned not to talk about it," the woman wrote, before revealing snippets of the day she says she was arrested for publishing gay erotica."I'll never forget it - being escorted to the car in full view, enduring the humiliation of stripping naked for examination in front of strangers, putting on a vest for photos, sitting in the chair, shaking with fear, my heart pounding."The handle, Pingping Anan Yongfu, is among at least eight in recent months which have shared accounts on Chinese social media platform Weibo of being arrested for publishing gay erotic fiction. As authors recounted their experiences, dozens of lawyers offered pro bono least 30 writers, nearly all of them women in their 20s, have been arrested across the country since February, a lawyer defending one told the BBC. Many are out on bail or awaiting trial, but some are still in custody. Another lawyer told the BBC that many more contributors were summoned for had published their work on Haitang Literature City, a Taiwan-hosted platform known for its "danmei", the genre of so-called boys' love and erotic fiction. Think of it as a gay version of Fifty Shades of Grey: a BDSM relationship that leads to a happily-ever-after. That's a frequent trope, across historical, fantasy or sci-fi settings. Over the years it has cultivated a fiercely devoted following, especially among young Chinese authors are being accused of breaking China's pornography law for "producing and distributing obscene material". Writers who earn a profit could be jailed for more than 10 law targets "explicit descriptions of gay sex or other sexual perversions". Heterosexual depictions often have more leeway - works by acclaimed Chinese authors, including Nobel Laureate Mo Yan, have graphic sexual scenes, but are widely available. Although authors of heterosexual erotica have been jailed in China, observers say the genre is subjected to far less censorship. Gay erotica, which is more subversive, seems to bother authorities more. Volunteers in a support group for the Haitang writers told the BBC police even questioned some who reported being arrested declined to be interviewed, fearing repercussions. Police in the northwestern city of Lanzhou, who are accused of driving this crackdown, have not responded to the the crackdown has unleashed a debate - and a rarer pushback against the law."Is sex really something to be ashamed of?" a Weibo user asked, arguing that China's anti-obscenity laws are out of touch. Another wrote that women never get to decide what is obscene because they don't control the narrative. Even legal scholars have expressed concern that just 5,000 views for anything deemed "obscene" qualifies as criminal "distribution", lowering the bar to arrest made Beijing uneasy enough that discussions have been vanishing: #HaitangAuthorsArrested drew more than 30 million views on Weibo before it was censored. Posts offering legal advice are gone. A prominent Chinese news site's story has been taken down. Writers' accounts, and some of the handles, are also Pingping Anan Yongfu's post went viral, she deleted it and wrote another, thanking supporters and admitting her writing had violated the law. She then deleted her that last post, she had written: "I was always the good girl in my parents' eyes. But that day, I brought them nothing but shame. They'll never hold their heads up again." Danmei: The uncrowned royal of pop culture These women have long worked in the shadows in China, where homosexuality and eroticism are stigmatised. Now outed by police investigations, they face social consequences that are as brutal as the legal ones. "In that moment, all I felt was shame," posted a writer whose Weibo handle translates to "the world is a huge psychiatric hospital". She said the police pulled her out of class in college - and her classmates watched as they followed her to search her dorm."I earned my money word by word at a keyboard. But once it went south, it was as if none of that mattered. People treated me like I'd made money without ever working for it."Another wrote the police had been kind, advising her to speak to a lawyer and return her "illegal earnings" to reduce her sentence. "I'm only 20. So young, and I've already ruined my life so early."A third said: "I never imagined a day would come when every word I once wrote would come back to haunt me."One author who has been writing danmei novels for 20 years was not questioned but she says the crackdown won't stop her. "This is how I find happiness. And I can't let go of the connections I have made with the community."Inspired by Japanese boys' love manga, danmei emerged as a sub-genre online in the 1990s. It has become hugely successful, with some of the novels appearing on international bestseller lists. In 2021, 60 of them were optioned for film and TV adaptations. The most expensive IP reportedly sold for 40 million yuan ($5.6 million; £4.1 million). Some of China's biggest stars, such as Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo, began their careers on streaming shows based on danmei novels. In short, it's the rebellious royal of pop culture - too popular to ignore, too controversial to it is a signature offering on Haitang, which, in Mandarin, is a flower that blooms in every shade of Haitang and danmei have flourished as uniquely female spaces, although they centre male protagonists. In a culture where female sexual desire is routinely policed, danmei beceme a coded, creative outlet - a space where women can write about female desire for other is exactly what makes danmei so "subversive", says Dr Liang Ge, who teaches digital sociology at University College London. It allows women to "detach from gendered realities", which they often associate with marriage and instance, in danmei stories, men can get pregnant and are at ease with being vulnerable – a stark contrast from the often unequal relationships many Chinese women struggle with in real life."Danmei frees me from thinking about all those potential dangers in relationships in traditional heterosexual romance," explains one writer who has been active in the danmei world for a novels are not without their critics, because some do contain extreme and violent scenes. "As a parent, how many of us can accept our children reading novels like this, let alone writing them?" asked one Weibo age of authors has also been a concern: a handful of those the BBC spoke to said they all started reading and writing gay erotica before they turned 18, some as young as 11. It's a problem the community should acknowledge and address, said Ma, a danmei writer who only shared her surname, adding that this is a problem for all adult content because China does not restrict content by danmei in particular has increasingly come under attack in the last decade as Beijing launched a series of campaigns to "clean up" the internet. In 2018 a danmei author was jailed for 10 years for selling 7,000 copies of her book titled Occupy. 'My earnings were evidence of my crime' As marriage and birth rates plummet, and China's leader Xi Jinping encourages a national rejuvenation, so state scrutiny of danmei has ratcheted up, Dr Ge says."The Chinese government wants to promote traditional family values and liking danmei novels is seen as a factor in making women less willing to have children," Dr Ge is the second wave of mass arrests in less than a year - late last year, some 50 Haitang writers were prosecuted. A famous author who earned about 1.85 million yuan was jailed for nearly five two crackdowns are similar, according to a lawyer who had represented some of the defendants last year, "but this time, even those with minor involvement weren't spared".A lawyer offering free legal advice said more than 150 people requested consultations in just two days. Many of those contacting her had not been charged yet - they were terrified about the possibility though."This is classic offshore fishing," says a lawyer who authored a "practical guide" to assist Haitang writers. The term refers to overreach by local police - those in Lanzhou summoned writers in various places, arguably beyond their reported paying out of pocket to fly to Lanzhou. One posted that the 2,000 yuan earned from two books on Haitang paid for the year too all the arrests were by police in Jixi County in eastern China. Indebted local governments have done this before to earn revenue through fines, sometimes forcing a warning from the central government. Cyber crimes are particularly prone to this "as long as they claim a local reader was corrupted", the lawyer says. Danmei writers know tolerance can be fickle. It's why they skirt censorship with metaphors. "Making dinner" means sex; "kitchen tool" is code for male the recent crackdown stunned them. "A phone call shattered my dreams," is how one writer described the call from accused police of searching their phone without a warrant. They said their crime was assessed by adding up the views for each chapter - a method they argued was misleading, as it likely exaggerated the danmei author posted: "I wrote on Haitang for years, with only a handful of readers. Then, those overlooked stories accumulated over 300,000 clicks, and the 4,000 yuan in royalties sitting in my account became evidence of my crime."It's hard to know if this spells the end of their careers on Haitang."If I could go back, I'd still choose to write. And I will keep writing," wrote the handle Sijin de Sijin."Right now, I can only hope the law will see beyond the words on the page - and see the girl who skipped meals to save money, the girl who sold her hair to buy a pen, the girl who believed her mind could carve a way through fate. I hope it gives all of us a fair chance."Additional reporting by Grace Tsoi in Hong Kong
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
Morning Mail: influencers on notice over gambling sites, warning of new Israeli offensive in Gaza, Oscar Piastri second in Austria GP
Good morning. Online influencers have been inadvertently promoting a gambling company that poses as an Australian outfit but is instead licensed and regulated in a tiny island off the east coast of Africa. Meanwhile, the government claims China is trying to take undue credit for development projects in the Pacific that are in fact funded by many nations, including Australia. And: tens of thousands of Palestinians are again on the move in Gaza, fleeing eastern parts of Gaza City as Israel's military warns it is preparing for a renewed offensive. 'It's not Chinese assistance' | China is bolstering its influence in the Pacific by 'branding' development work – funded in significant part by Australia – as Chinese projects, the government says. Exclusive | Australian social media influencers have been warned after several accounts inadvertently promoted illegal offshore bookmakers. 'More doing, less reviewing' | A senior public service chief has told Labor to stop commissioning so many government reviews, warning the costly and time-consuming inquiries risk swamping bureaucrats. Scam alert | Scammers pretending to be Chinese authorities are increasingly targeting international students in Australia – fleecing them of more than $5m in just five months. Explainer | Thousands of university students will receive financial support to complete mandatory placements for the first time this week – but not everyone is happy with the changes. Gaza crisis | There are scenes of chaos as tens of thousands of Palestinians flee Gaza City after Israel warns of a major military offensive; medical staff in Gaza have been left struggling in 'post-apocalyptic' conditions as gangs fight over aid supplies. Gaza's civil defence agency said 23 Palestinians had been killed on Sunday by Israeli strikes, including at least three children. Russia-Ukraine war | Russia has fired more than 500 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight, in a barrage that Kyiv has described as the 'most massive airstrike' of the conflict so far. Iran strikes | The UN nuclear watchdog chief says Tehran could produce enriched uranium 'in a matter of months' – contradicting US claims that Iran's nuclear sites had been 'totally obliterated'. US politics | Donald Trump has hit out at a Republican senator for refusing to back his 'big, beautiful bill'; he has also threatened to cut off New York City funds if Zohran Mamdani 'doesn't behave'; the US president is also considering forcing journalists to reveal their sources after Iran leaks. Glastonbury | The festival's organisers have said they are 'appalled' by comments made by Bob Vylan after the punk duo appeared to incite violence, leading an anti-IDF chant, something the festival said went against its ethos of 'hope, unity, peace and love'. The thrift stores dividing Australian shoppers In the cost-of-living crisis, more people are turning to op shops for clothes. Among the secondhand shops is Savers, a US for-profit that claims to offer a more sustainable alternative. But some shoppers have mixed feelings about its business model. Jonathan Barrett speaks with Reged Ahmad about why there are questions around the retailer – even as those shunning fast fashion say it's more sustainable. Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $ Bougainville fought a war to shut down Panguna mine. Now it wants to reopen it. The reviled foreign project that once buried villages under rubble and turned rivers toxic blue holds hope today for unity, prosperity and freedom. But, as Ben Doherty and Mike Bowers find out, some say the island risks repeating the mistakes of the past. Plus: Mike Bowers shares his reunion with a man who kept him alive in Bougainville 28 years ago. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Australian film-maker Gabrielle Brady's works have earned international recognition even as her home country has been slow to catch up. For her latest film, The Wolves Always Come at Night, she worked with a Mongolian couple displaced from their farmland – creating a work that invites audiences, festival programmers, critics, and peers to contend with what is, for many, still a new format: the hybrid documentary. Motorsport | Lando Norris held off Australian driver Oscar Piastri to win the Austrian F1 GP after Max Verstappen crashed out early. AFL | Tom Lynch has a role to play in Richmond's rebuild but he failed against Adelaide, Jonathan Horn writes. Football | The Matildas were denied victory after a late Slovenia equaliser soured improved performance; Paris-Saint Germain have thrashed Inter Miami 4-0 in their Club World Cup last 16 matchup. Rugby union | Australian rugby's incendiary attitude towards nationality needs extinguishing, Robert Kitson writes. Australia is headed for a $27bn collapse in income from liquefied gas and iron ore as Donald Trump's trade war with China hits home, the Age reports. The Australian says Xi Jinping's top diplomat in Australia has warned Anthony Albanese that increasing military spending will undermine economic development. And according to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Minns government is being urged to move faster on overhauling drug policy in New South Wales. NSW | A public hearing is being held at the state parliament in the inquiry into infrastructure for electric vehicles. Victoria | The judge is due to finish giving directions to the jury in the Erin Patterson trial in Morwell before they retire to deliberate. Queensland | Treasurer David Janetzki is set to give the Queensland state budget address in Brisbane at lunchtime. Western Australia | An inquest into the death of Cleveland Dodd, who died in custody, is due to be held in Perth. If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword
