cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/38234703
Beijing’s coercion campaign against Taiwan is entering a more litigious phase. While military drills and cognitive warfare remain staples of its coercive playbook, China is now intensifying the systematic use of law to target Taiwan’s democracy. It has escalated efforts to criminalise Taiwan’s elected leaders, most notably with the establishment of a public informant hotline.
This shows the extent of Beijing’s evolving lawfare strategy—the use of legal tools and judicial theatre to achieve political ends. Lawfare is now a domain of coercion for Beijing against Taiwan—one where tactics are carried out through courtrooms and clauses. The aim is clear: to isolate, intimidate and delegitimise Taiwan’s leadership under the guise of legal process.
At the centre of this campaign is Beijing’s so-called ‘Taiwan independence diehards’ list. Unveiled in August 2024, the list initially named 10 Taiwanese politicians and public figures accused of supporting separatism. Two more were added in October. The original list included Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo, former foreign minister Joseph Wu, and senior lawmakers including former speaker of the Legislative Yuan, You Si-kun. They stand accused of promoting Taiwan’s international presence, deepening ties with like-minded democracies, and—most importantly, in Beijing’s eyes—rejecting the One China principle.
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To accompany this legal offensive, Beijing has launched something creepier still: a public tip-off hotline. Hosted on the websites of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office and Ministry of Public Security, the hotline invites anyone—on either side of the strait—to submit information about the ‘criminal acts’ of these so-called separatists. This hotline is a sign that Beijing is attempting to weaponise legal intimidation at scale. By encouraging the public to participate in identifying or denouncing Taiwan’s democratic leaders, China hopes to transform its legal campaign from a state effort into a societal one.
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What’s more, the global response has so far been uneven. The United States rightly condemned the move as escalatory. Japan and other regional democracies have voiced concern about tensions in the strait. But the broader international community must do more to push back against this creeping normalisation of extraterritorial authoritarian law. Democracies must reaffirm that Chinese law has no jurisdiction over Taiwan’s leaders, and that those who defend freedom at home will be supported abroad.