Chinese authorities in the city of Xiamen have publicly offered cash rewards of up to 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,400 USD) for information leading to the arrest of 18 individuals identified as core members of Taiwan’s military “psychological warfare unit.” Beijing accuses these officers of conducting psychological operations against the mainland, including creating fake videos, running smear websites, producing online games promoting separatism, operating illegal radio stations, and spreading disinformation aimed at undermining China’s sovereignty claims over Taiwan.
The move comes just one day after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s National Day address on October 10, 2025, in which he pledged to strengthen Taiwan’s air defenses through a new “T-Dome” network and urged Beijing to “abandon threats of force.” China sharply rebuked Lai’s remarks, labeling him a “troublemaker” and “war-maker” while accusing him of pushing separatism with U.S. and foreign backing.
This is not the first instance of Beijing placing bounties on Taiwanese officers. In June 2025, Chinese authorities issued similar cash rewards targeting 20 individuals accused of conducting cyberattacks on mainland infrastructure.
Although the bounties are largely symbolic, as the listed officers remain in Taiwan, the move underscores the growing strain in cross-strait relations. The U.S.-backed authorities in Taipei have increasingly shifted from maintaining the traditional “status quo” of de facto independence under the One China framework toward steps viewed by Beijing as moves toward outright sovereignty—something Chinese officials have repeatedly warned would cross a red line.
Tensions have been further inflamed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that his administration will impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports starting November 1, in retaliation for Beijing’s export controls on rare earth minerals critical to U.S. defense manufacturing. The escalating economic confrontation effectively marks a return to full-scale trade war conditions between Washington and Beijing as it had been during the spring.