China is increasingly accused of using violence and intimidation against its critics in Taiwan, a troubling escalation beyond military pressure.

• A comedian who mocked Chinese leader Xi Jinping was hit by a car in New Taipei City, and police told him it was not a normal accident.
• A Japanese political commentator was punched in Taichung, allegedly by people tied to a Hong Kong gang, in what prosecutors call another case of cross-border repression.
• A Washington think tank researcher says Beijing may be shifting to more aggressive tactics against critics, and could expand this approach elsewhere if it works.
• Taiwanese police are coordinating with US authorities on similar cases targeting Taiwanese citizens abroad, including a recent arrest in Los Angeles of a woman accused of spying for China on the Taiwanese president's son.
• Beijing denies involvement in both cases, calling the attacks ordinary incidents or claiming "transnational repression" is a narrative invented by Taiwan's ruling party.

Outlook: Taiwanese and US authorities are expected to keep investigating and cooperating on these cases, while tensions over Beijing's reach into Taiwan and overseas Taiwanese communities are likely to keep growing.