China’s Intimidation Playbook: From Taiwan to Japan

TAIPEI—When Beijing wants to intimidate its rivals, it has an extensive—and often menacing—playbook to draw from, one that has been refined through years of pressure campaigns against Taiwan and is now being deployed against Japan.

The full scope of China’s coercion tactics came into sharp focus following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s November 7 statement that Japan could be drawn into conflict if China attempted to forcibly seize Taiwan. Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own territory and considers control of the island an internal matter, quickly escalated from diplomatic censure to a multi-pronged pressure campaign.

China’s response to Takaichi’s comments has followed a familiar pattern that Taiwan has experienced for years, employing information warfare, economic coercion, legal maneuvering, and military intimidation to express its displeasure.

In the realm of information warfare, China has deployed sophisticated techniques ranging from AI-generated deepfakes to character assassination. Similar to campaigns targeting Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te and former President Tsai Ing-wen, Chinese propaganda machinery quickly pivoted to malign Takaichi. Taiwan officials have identified text messages and photos allegedly from China’s military claiming that Takaichi received bribes from Taiwanese diplomats, including jewelry shown in circulated images.

When confronted about these tactics, China’s Foreign Ministry has denied responsibility, instead claiming to be “a victim of disinformation” while reasserting its claim to Taiwan.

Economic coercion represents another powerful lever in China’s arsenal. As the world’s second-largest economy, Beijing frequently weaponizes trade relationships. In response to Takaichi’s comments, China quickly banned Japanese seafood imports—a tactic reminiscent of its 2021 ban on Taiwanese pineapples. More recently, China has restricted exports of rare earths and rare-earth magnets to Japan, materials crucial for high-tech manufacturing.

China has also sought to discourage tourism to Japan, with its Foreign Ministry warning citizens about earthquake threats. Despite these efforts, tourist arrivals to Japan in November actually increased by 3% compared to the previous year.

Beijing frequently employs misdirection as another pressure tactic. When confronted with accusations of wrongdoing, Chinese authorities often redirect attention elsewhere. For instance, as tensions with Tokyo escalated, China’s Ministry of State Security announced it had uncovered several cases of Japanese espionage in recent years. This mirrors China’s approach to Taiwan, where it recently accused Taiwanese psychological warfare units of infiltration after facing criticism for its own surveillance activities.

Cultural venues provide another platform for China to exercise influence. In November, as anti-Japanese sentiment was encouraged, Japanese performers in China faced sudden cancellations. Singer Maki Otsuki, known for the “One Piece” anime theme song, was escorted off stage mid-performance in Shanghai when the lights and music were cut. The following night, pop star Ayumi Hamasaki’s concert was abruptly canceled, though she performed anyway to an empty Shanghai stadium.

China also extensively deploys “lawfare”—using legal claims and treaties as geopolitical weapons. President Xi Jinping has cited the 1943 Cairo Declaration from World War II to justify China’s claim to Taiwan, while Chinese diplomats frequently invoke the 1971 UN resolution that transferred Taiwan’s UN seat to Beijing. Following Takaichi’s comments, China’s UN envoy Fu Cong argued on November 18 that Japan was unqualified for a permanent Security Council seat “in light of Sanae Takaichi’s atrocious behavior.”

Perhaps most concerning is China’s use of military exercises as intimidation. These “gray-zone” activities—flexing power while avoiding direct conflict—aim to establish dominance and deter resistance. Recent large-scale drills around Taiwan served as a warning to both Taipei and Tokyo, demonstrating China’s capability to potentially cut off assistance from U.S. bases in Okinawa, Japan.

Such military maneuvers serve multiple purposes in China’s pressure campaign. In one particularly notable example from 2024, China’s coast guard vessels, while circling Taiwan, posted an image suggesting they had taken a heart-shaped path around the island, describing it paradoxically as “an act of love.”

As tensions in the region continue, China’s multifaceted approach to coercion demonstrates both the sophistication and persistence of Beijing’s efforts to assert control over what it considers its sphere of influence—with Taiwan at the center and regional powers like Japan increasingly in its crosshairs.