During the National People’s Congress (NPC) of the Chinese Communist Party, the “Supreme Court” report once again emphasized harsh punishment for “Taiwan independence” and cracking down on rare earth smuggling. Several scholars pointed out that this not only continues the legal and resource battles against Taiwan but also reflects Beijing’s strategy of strengthening control and negotiation leverage under internal and external pressures. However, these measures face limitations in practical implementation, and may even accelerate the international community’s reduction of reliance on China’s supply chain.
On March 9th, the 4th Session of the 14th NPC of the CCP was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where Zhang Jun, President of the Supreme People’s Court, presented a work report emphasizing “deepening the struggle against subversion, separatism, terrorism, and cults,” while stressing the need to “severely punish stubborn ‘Taiwan independence’ elements” and “punish crimes such as smuggling rare earths to overseas”.
On the same day, the Chief Procurator of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, Ying Yong, also mentioned in his report the need to “combat infiltration, sabotage, subversion, and separatist activities by hostile forces,” while reiterating the criminal crackdown against “stubborn ‘Taiwan independence’ elements”.
Regarding the Supreme Court’s report advocating harsh punishment for “Taiwan independence” and the rare earth smuggling issue, current affairs commentator Li Lin analyzed for Dajiyuan, stating that each of the so-called “severe crackdowns” by the CCP usually has a political background, meaning it is a political task of the CCP at a certain stage. Here, everything follows the will of the party leader Xi Jinping, with the prosecution and judiciary all becoming Xi’s personal henchmen, treating the US-China competition as a critical current political task.
It is noteworthy that both reports list “punishing ‘Taiwan independence'” as one of the important achievements of the past year.
The Supreme People’s Court also specifically mentioned the case of Taiwanese publisher Li Yanhe (pseudonym Fuchat), stating he was sentenced for “undermining national unity”. Li Yanhe had founded the Taiwan Eight Banners Cultural Publishing House and went missing after returning to Shanghai in 2023, only to be announced by the CCP authorities in 2025 to have been sentenced to a three-year prison term.
At the same time, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the CCP announced in January this year that Taiwan’s Minister of the Interior, Liu Shifang, and Minister of Education, Zheng Yingyao, were listed as “stubborn ‘Taiwan independence’ elements” and imposed sanctions on them, also labeling Taiwan High Prosecutors Office prosecutor Chen Shuyi as a “green judicial thug”.
These statements indicate that Beijing continues to strengthen the connection between Taiwan-related and national security issues in official reports and judicial narratives.
Taiwan Institute for National Defense and Security Studies researcher Shen Mingshi, in an interview with Dajiyuan, pointed out that Beijing’s reaffirmation of “harsh punishment for ‘Taiwan independence'” in the two meetings’ reports reflects that its Taiwan policy still revolves around “anti-independence promotion of unification”.
He noted that in recent years, Beijing has continuously used legal and political means to enhance its deterrence against Taiwan, including citing specific cases in judicial reports to create symbolic “enforcement achievements”.
Shen Mingshi mentioned that such cases often have a demonstrative nature: “Through individual cases to show the so-called punishment results, the purpose is to convey a warning signal to Taiwanese society.”
He specifically pointed out the Li Yanhe case. According to Shen Mingshi, the inclusion of this case in official reports indicates Beijing’s clear political intent when using legal tools.
He believes that this kind of “demonstrative law enforcement” may not necessarily achieve true “deterrence” effects, but may instead attract more external attention.
In addition to Taiwan-related issues, the Supreme People’s Court also emphasized cracking down on rare earth smuggling in the reports presented during the two meetings.
Shen Mingshi believes that this is related to China’s view of rare earth resources as strategic tools in recent years.
China has long held an important position in the field of rare earth mining and extraction. In recent years, the CCP has strengthened export controls and incorporated rare earths into national security and industrial policy frameworks.
Shen Mingshi pointed out that a key reason for Beijing’s increased control is to enhance its bargaining power in international negotiations.
“If there are future negotiations between China and the United States, issues related to rare earth supply and tariffs are likely to become important topics,” he said.
However, he also noted that strict control often leads to price hikes, which may stimulate underground smuggling activities, thereby undermining the effectiveness of the policy.
Su Ziyun, Director of the Strategic Resources Department at the Taiwan Institute for National Defense and Security Studies, told Dajiyuan that Beijing’s inclusion of rare earth issues in its judicial report reflects its attempt to strengthen the strategic tool attributes of resources.
However, he believes that the deterrent effect of this approach is often short-term.
Su Ziyun pointed out that the United States, Australia, and European countries are accelerating the search for alternative sources and developing new rare earth supply chains, including through recycling and refining technologies.
Additionally, Japan has discovered large rare earth resources under the seabed in recent years, which could also change the future global supply landscape.
“When resources are weaponized, countries will actively seek alternative solutions,” he said.
Su Ziyun also noted that so-called rare earth smuggling often involves complex industrial chains and licensing systems, so the reality may differ from ordinary crimes.
Lin Song, a political science Ph.D. candidate at the University of New South Wales in Australia, told Dajiyuan that in recent years, Beijing has continuously strengthened narratives of “anti-subversion”, “anti-spying”, and “anti-separatism”, reflecting insecurity within the power system.
He pointed out that Beijing’s incorporation of “harsh punishment for ‘Taiwan independence'” and the rare earth issue into the national security framework essentially enhances political control through security issues.
Lin Song believes that these issues are not only used for external pressure but also for internal political mobilization.
“When external threats and security issues are continuously emphasized, it often indicates that the regime’s vigilance towards stability is rising,” he said.
He also noted that in recent years, there have been multiple rounds of high-level reorganization and personnel adjustments within the CCP’s military and security systems, keeping the power structure in a state of continuous reshuffling.
In this context, through strengthening security narratives and setting typical cases, the authorities are attempting to maintain political control and social mobilization.
The background of the CCP’s strengthened Taiwan and resource-related issues also intersects with recent regional security changes and shifts in the global supply chain.
According to reports by Central News Agency on March 9th, there have been almost no detectable activities of CCP military aircraft in Taiwan’s vicinity in the past 10 days, a rare phenomenon in recent years. Experts believe this may be related to internal political meetings or military reorganizations in Beijing.
Meanwhile, global competition for critical mineral resources is intensifying.
Andy Home, a columnist for Reuters, pointed out that the world’s largest cobalt ore producer, the Democratic Republic of Congo, has restricted exports, leading to a more than 150% increase in cobalt prices within a year. China’s battery industry chain heavily relies on imported raw materials, further highlighting supply risks.
The United States is pushing for cooperation on critical mineral resources. In February 2026, the U.S. State Department convened a ministerial meeting of 54 countries on critical mineral resources and proposed the establishment of a multilateral supply alliance.
Synthesizing the views of the scholars mentioned above, Beijing’s simultaneous emphasis on “anti-Taiwan independence” and “cracking down on rare earth smuggling” in the two reports during the meetings reflects its dual-track strategy at the political and economic levels.
On one hand, it strengthens political pressure on Taiwan through legal means; on the other hand, it enhances international negotiation leverage through controlling critical resources.
However, experts generally believe that these strategies face clear limitations in practical implementation. As countries accelerate the establishment of alternative supply chains and Taiwan’s societal and political choices prove resistant to legal deterrence, Beijing’s related policies may struggle to achieve the intended effects.