Table Stakes - June 30th

Good morning everyone,

I’m Daniel, and welcome to Table Stakes!

Here’s a look at today’s topics:

• Czech Intelligence: China planned to assassinate Taiwan's vice president in Prague

• Zelenskyy Signs Decree for Ukraine's Withdrawal From Anti-Landmine Treaty

• Germany Proposes Joint Cyber Research Center and Unveils 'Cyber Dome' Strategy with Israel

Czech Intelligence: China planned to assassinate Taiwan's vice president in Prague

_{By: Daniel Murrah, Staff Writer for Atlas}

In March 2024, Czech military intelligence uncovered what officials described as an "unprecedented" plot orchestrated by Chinese diplomats and intelligence operatives to stage a car crash targeting Taiwan's Vice-President Hsiao Bi-khim during her visit to Prague. The news has sent shockwaves across diplomatic circles, showing how far Beijing seems willing to go in its fight against Taiwanese officials even on foreign land.

The Attempt

Czech intelligence head Petr Bartovský said that the plot was a huge step forward in Chinese tactics, as it was the first time that Beijing had tried to physically intimidate a Taiwanese diplomat in Europe. Intelligence authorities called the plan a "demonstrative kinetic action." It involved Chinese agents at China's embassy in Prague working together to spy on and harass Hsiao's delegation.

The operation covered a lot of ground. Chinese agents followed Hsiao's police-escorted convoy closely during her visit to Prague. At least one ambassador even ran a red light to keep an eye on her. Jan Pejšek, a spokeswoman for the intelligence agency, said that the agents were gathering extensive information about Hsiao's schedule and keeping track of her interactions with important people in Czech politics and society. Czech officials said that the goal was to establish conditions for a staged collision that would serve as both a threat and a show of Beijing's power.

It's even more worrying that this monitoring operation was planned and carried out in such a methodical fashion for so long. Czech intelligence sources indicated that Chinese agents had been watching Hsiao since she got to Prague. This shows that a lot of planning and collaboration went into the operation ahead of time, as well as gathering information about her in a number of ways, such as keeping track of her formal meetings and snooping on her casual talks with leaders of civil society and the Czech government.

The good news is that the proposal never got off the ground. Czech military intelligence, who had been watching suspicious activity around important guests because of known geopolitical concerns, stepped in before the plot could happen.

Taiwan’s Response

Hsiao Bi-khim's response to the news was typical of Taiwan's strategy of standing up against Taiwanese aggression. She said to the public, "I will not be afraid." "The CCP's illegal actions will NOT stop me from speaking up for Taiwan's interests in the world." Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council stepped up the diplomatic response by officially accusing Chinese embassy officials in Prague of following, watching, and almost hitting Hsiao's motorcade. The Council asked China to make a formal apology, but Beijing, as expected, denied all the charges. Officials from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said they did nothing wrong and that their diplomats follow local rules. At the same time, they accused the Czech Republic of interfering in China's domestic affairs by hosting Hsiao's visit.

Experts say that the episode is a big step up in what they call Beijing's strategy of transnational repression against Taiwan. This larger plan involves spying, harassment, and planned efforts to keep Taiwan from joining international groups and platforms. The Prague scheme is notable for how bold it was and how dangerous it was for a high-ranking Taiwanese official to be in Europe.

Taiwanese lawmakers called the activities terrible and said they showed how dangerous Chinese transnational repressive operations are becoming. The fact that Chinese agents were willing to risk diplomatic ramifications and perhaps criminal charges in a member state of the European Union shows that Beijing's tactics against Taiwan and its officials overseas are getting worse.

Europe’s Concerns

The situation, and the Czech Republic’s response, have greater implications for European security and diplomatic norms. Prague called in China's ambassador to protest what officials called a breach of diplomatic rules and international law. There weren't many details about the diplomatic interaction due to worries about privacy, but the fact that the scheme was made public is a big diplomatic slap in the face to Beijing.

To worsen things, the event happened when relations between the Czech Republic and China were already deteriorating. Recently, Prague accused China of cyberattacks and China took actions against Czech lawmakers who visited Taiwan. The Czech Republic has strong unofficial links with Taiwan, such as legislative exchanges, collaborative economic ventures including a semiconductor research center, and public support for Taiwan's democratic government.

Officials from the Czech Foreign Ministry stressed that the act was unusual in its boldness, showing a new level of foreign meddling on Czech land. Chinese diplomats breaking traffic laws and spying on a foreign dignitary raises big questions about how much respect Beijing has for diplomatic conventions and the sovereignty of host countries.

Other European countries and international groups have taken notice of the issue, which has brought to light larger worries about transnational repression and the need for more caution against foreign interference activities. Reports say that European security officials are looking at their own rules for keeping Taiwanese officials safe while they are in Europe and keeping an eye on Chinese diplomatic activity.

The episode in Prague shows how far the Czech Republic is willing to go to safeguard democratic values and stand up to foreign threats. It also shows how far Beijing is willing to go to isolate and scare Taiwan on the world arena..

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