Yang Yiming, the Prague correspondent for Chinese state-run newspaper Guangming Daily, is set to stand trial after being detained for four months in the Czech Republic. Czech prosecutors accused Yang of working for Chinese intelligence services and charged him with “conducting unauthorized activities for a foreign power,” marking the first prosecution under the country’s espionage-related legislation. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.
According to Czech authorities, Yang allegedly monitored and collected intelligence on political and academic figures in the Czech Republic, including pro-Taiwan politicians such as Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil and former Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová. Investigators said he sought to gather compromising information on these individuals on behalf of Chinese intelligence agencies.
Yang had reportedly operated in the Czech Republic for years under the identity of a journalist and had interviewed numerous Czech and Slovak political figures. Czech authorities had repeatedly renewed his press credentials and residency permits before the investigation was launched.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), June 3, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/202606030328.aspx