A Taiwanese national living in China was sentenced to nine years in prison for his previous political activities in Taiwan. This case marked the first known instance where Chinese authorities charged a Taiwanese citizen with “separatism” under Article 103 of China’s Criminal Law.
In February, a Chinese court secretly sentenced Taiwan publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀), known by his pen name Fu Cha (富察), to three years in prison on charges of “inciting secession” for publishing books in Taiwan. Li had traveled to China for a visit when he was detained.
These prosecutions appear to be part of a broader Chinese government strategy to extend its legal system beyond its borders, aiming to advance the foreign policy interests of the Chinese Communist Party, according to Human Rights Watch. In 2019, the Party pledged to “accelerate the construction of legal systems on the extraterritorial application of Chinese law.”
“Rights-respecting governments should speak out on behalf of freedoms of expression and association in Taiwan that Beijing is increasingly threatening,” said Wang. He further urged leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and others planning visits to Beijing, to publicly express their concerns about Chinese government harassment of individuals like Puma Shen and others in Taiwan during their trips.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/10/31/china-dubious-criminal-investigation-of-taiwanese-legislator