Taiwan's top security official says the island will not back down as China ramps up military and legal pressure — a defiant message that signals more tension ahead across the region.

• Taiwan's national security chief Wu Jaushieh said Taiwan worries about conflict but is not afraid, and surrender is never an option.
• Chinese planes, warships, and coast guard vessels crossing the Taiwan Strait median line have become routine since 2022, alongside large drills.
• China is using its "one China" claim as a legal weapon — blocking Taiwan from international events and justifying so-called law enforcement inside Taiwan's own waters.
• Taiwan is not the only target: China has pushed its naval reach across the whole first island chain, at times deploying over a hundred ships at once.
• Taiwan's answer is money and manpower — conscription back to one year, defense spending up 80% under the previous government, and a record defense budget planned for 2027.

Outlook: Expect more Chinese military and coast guard pressure around Taiwan, met by rising Taiwanese defense spending and louder calls for democracies to coordinate deterrence.