Babiš says detention of Chinese national more serious than summoning ambassador

The detention of a Chinese national on suspicion of espionage in Czech Republic is a far more serious step than summoning an ambassador, Prime Minister and ANO party leader Andrej Babiš said on Thursday. He questioned the handling of the case by the foreign ministry under Jan Lipavský, after media reported the suspect held a journalist’s accreditation. Police arrested the man over alleged activity for Chinese intelligence, marking the first use of the offence of unlawful activity for a foreign power. While Babiš said such suspects are usually expelled, he added authorities must have had reasons for detention. Lipavský countered that his ministry lacked concrete information at the time and criticised plans to abolish the offence.