Taiwan's China policy chief says Beijing is shifting to a strategy of governing Taiwan in practice before any formal unification — a warning that raises the risk of confrontation in the Taiwan Strait.

• Xi Jinping is expected to enter a fourth term in 2027, and Taipei expects a harder push on unification.
• The tactic is not war or peace talks but squeezing Taiwan's control step by step, so "unification" becomes a fact on the ground.
• China is patrolling and enforcing law in waters east of Taiwan, denying Taiwan's authority there.
• Beijing is also using a UN resolution to argue Taiwan is part of China and shut it out of international bodies.
• Taipei says it will talk only as an equal and rejects "peace" framing that is really a push for unification.

Outlook: Expect more one-off Chinese moves near Taiwan that harden into routine, with Taipei leaning on its chip industry and island-chain position to keep allies engaged.