China Intensifies Legal and Maritime Pressure Campaigns Against Taiwan

China is intensifying its legal and military strategies to assert sovereignty over Taiwan, including establishing a "Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration" to frame Taiwan as an inalienable part of China and employing covert maritime tactics near Taiwan's Kinmen County to complicate surveillance. Beijing has escalated legal pressure on Taiwanese citizens like legislator Puma Shen by investigating them under charges of "separatism," reflecting an extraterritorial assertion of Chinese jurisdiction that aims to create fear and division within Taiwan. The Chinese government’s actions, including sanctions and prosecutions of pro-independence Taiwanese figures, are part of a broader effort to isolate Taiwan internationally and undermine its self-governance. Taiwan's government agencies warn that China’s legal maneuvers create an illusion of long-arm jurisdiction and that such pressures could extend internationally through extradition treaties. Meanwhile, the strategic location of nearby territories such as the Philippine island of Batanes underscores the regional geopolitical stakes, as the area lies near major shipping lanes and is caught in the US-China power competition. Taiwan is responding by increasing coast guard patrols and enhancing naval capabilities to counter these gray-zone maritime operations, highlighting the ongoing complexity and volatility in cross-strait relations.