A young woman posing as a cleaner was removed from a restricted area before Taiwan's vice president spoke in Italy, in what Taiwanese officials believe was Chinese intelligence gathering.

• Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim spoke as guest of honor at a European freedom and democracy forum on the Italian island of Ventotene, then returned home quietly.
• Three hours before the speech, security staff sweeping the empty outdoor venue found a young woman sitting alone on a bench, head down on her phone.
• She said she was a cleaner for the next event, but no cleaners were assigned and the area was already locked down, so she was told to leave or be taken to a police station.
• Taiwan's envoy to the EU, Hsieh Chih-wei, said the group concluded Beijing had sent her to gather information; she never came back.

Outlook: Expect tighter security around Hsiao's future overseas trips as China keeps pressuring Taiwan's diplomatic contacts in Europe.