China is seizing on a deadly incident in the Taiwan Strait to exercise greater control around Taiwan's Kinmen islands, which in the short term will risk additional escalatory encounters and in the longer term suggests China is altering the strategic status quo in its favor. In recent days, tensions have spiked between China and Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait over the jurisdiction of waters around the Kinmen archipelago, a group of islands governed by Taiwan located just six miles from mainland China. On Feb. 15, two Chinese fishermen drowned about one nautical mile off the archipelago after being chased by Taiwan's coast guard. The incident occurred after the fishermen entered prohibited waters in the area and attempted to flee. China condemned Taiwan's coast guard, alleging it used ''violent and dangerous'' methods with ''malicious intent.'' Though Beijing did not issue any additional threats at that time, on Feb. 17 the Chinese...
