Taipei: China’s recent use of local public security bureaus to issue bounty notices against specific Taiwanese individuals represents a new tactic of “judicial intimidation” targeting Taiwan while allowing Beijing some flexibility, scholars told CNA.

According to Focus Taiwan, since late October, three notable Taiwanese figures have been named by local public security bureaus in China for alleged “secession” offenses. This adds to similar incidents in June and early October, targeting numerous purported members of Taiwan’s military. These individuals have either been listed on bounty notices or placed under criminal investigation by various local public security bureaus across China, which function similarly to local police.

Hung Yao-nan, deputy director of Tamkang University’s Institute of China Studies, explained that even though these notices were issued by local bureaus rather than higher-level bodies such as the Ministry of Public Security, they were essentially executed under the central government’s direction. One such notice involved YouTubers Pa Chiung and Chen Po-yuan, who were named in a bounty notice by the Quanzhou public security bureau in Fujian Province for “inciting secession.” Rewards for information leading to their capture ranged from 50,000 to 250,000 Chinese yuan. Another notice was issued on October 28 against Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Puma Shen by the Chongqing public security bureau, which opened an investigation into his alleged “criminal activities of secession.”

Hung suggested that Beijing uses local authorities to mitigate execution risks and evaluate international reactions. If the backlash is significant, Beijing can retract the action as merely local, providing flexibility. The selection of Chongqing and Quanzhou for issuing these notices was strategic. Chongqing, as a directly administered municipality, can effectively represent state power, while Quanzhou, a prefecture-level city across the Taiwan Strait, serves as a “strategic demonstration zone” for Taiwan, according to Hung.

This tactic of “normalizing judicial intimidation” through bounty notices or warrants has been adopted by Beijing this year, Hung noted. On October 11, the Xiamen public security bureau issued a bounty notice for 18 “core members” of Taiwan’s military’s “psychological warfare unit,” while Guangzhou issued a warrant on June 5 for 20 individuals identified as members of the Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command. Both notices offered rewards for tips.

The publication of personal details such as Taiwanese ID numbers in these notices, except for Shen, whose age and Taipei origin were disclosed, aims to send a message that Chinese authorities are well-informed about Taiwan. Lin Ying-yu, an associate professor at Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, stated that this disclosure is intended to deter others from engaging in similar activities, creating a chilling effect.