Vice President-elect Hsiao in the Czech Republic: MOFA

Taipei, March 19 (CNA) Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) is currently in the Czech Republic to speak at a seminar organized by Sinopsis, a Prague-based think tank, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) confirmed Tuesday.

MOFA's confirmation came after Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil said in a social media post that he had met with Hsiao on the sidelines of the Sinopsis event, accompanied by a photo with her.

According to MOFA spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健), Hsiao is in the Czech Republic to meet with friends before she officially assumes office on May 20.

Hsiao's Czech trip comes after the vice-president elect reportedly visited the United States earlier this month.

Answering a request for comment from Reuters, a U.S. State Department official said Hsiao, Taiwan's former top envoy to Washington, had visited the country "in her personal capacity to tend to personal matters."

"The United States has a longstanding precedent of transits by Taiwan officials and visits by candidates and Vice President-elect before they assume office," the spokesperson told Reuters.

Hsiao's U.S. trip was also confirmed by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Hsiao, 52, has served as Taiwan's top representative to Washington since July 2020, before she resigned from the post to be Vice President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) running mate in Nov. 2023 for the Jan. 13 presidential race.