Kinmen: A Unique Island in Taiwan
Kinmen is located just five kilometers from Xiamen City in Fujian Province. This Taiwanese island, covering an area of 150 square kilometers, has a population of approximately 140,000. The island’s economy is primarily based on tourism and fishing. Kinmen has long served as an important military defense base, with an estimated peak military presence of 140,000 personnel, which later decreased to around 3,000, yet it remains crucial in Taiwan Strait defense.
Due to its proximity to mainland Fujian, Kinmen has close commercial ties with the province. Since the opening of tourism, visitors from mainland China have become the largest group of tourists. With the recent damage to undersea cables and the Chinese government’s statements regarding military unification with Taiwan, what is the perspective of the local residents in Kinmen on the current situation in the Taiwan Strait? Reporters from Japan’s Asahi Television traveled to Kinmen to interview local council members, entrepreneurs, and residents to gauge their views on today’s Taiwan Strait situation, but the responses were divergent.
Kinmen Council Members and Entrepreneurs Optimistic about Economic Development
Independent council member Zhang Yunliang, who was elected with the highest votes, stated that in the past, the two sides across the strait would not intrude upon each other. However, China’s ships have been crossing the line frequently and often claim territorial ownership, creating pressure. When asked by reporters whether there would be a military invasion of Taiwan, Zhang Yunliang believed that the interactions between the two sides are close, and both Kinmen residents and Chinese people feel they are part of a larger family.
The Kinmen Distillery registered a subsidiary named “Kinmen Distillery (Xiamen) Trading Co., Ltd.” in Xiamen in 2004. The CEO of the distillery stated that their performance in China has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, and they are actively signing contracts with new companies to expand their market in mainland China.
Su Ziyun, director of the National Defense Security Research Institute, remarked that this is a strategy that combines psychological and economic warfare, suggesting that it is better to buy a castle with force than to destroy it; China aims to achieve unification through peaceful economic means.
The Remnants of War: Air Raid Shelters Still Exist
China has fired 470,000 shells at Kinmen in the past. A local bed-and-breakfast owner, Mr. Xie, recalls that each house was hit with dozens of shell holes, and villagers would hide in air raid shelters. Asahi reporters visited these shelters and interviewed Taiwan university students who came to visit. They expressed that they still remember residents hiding in the shelters for days to avoid attacks and felt that everyone should cherish the current peace.
Kinmen Residents Perceive a Change in Atmosphere
Taking a boat for more than an hour from Kinmen, one can see a small island across from Kinmen where a new airport is being constructed through land reclamation. A lighthouse has also been built there, on what was once a garbage island. Now, the island is expanding, and China is also constructing a bridge connecting Kinmen to the mainland. Once all infrastructure is completed, this bridge will link Qingjing and Kinmen Lighthouse Island, reducing the travel time between Kinmen and China to just thirty minutes.
Local small shop owners in Kinmen welcome tourists from China for sightseeing and shopping, believing that building a bridge for direct access is essentially the same thing. However, they worry that if such a bridge were built allowing passage between the two sides, Taiwan’s security would be threatened, exacerbating the already tense situation.
Annual polls consistently show that most Taiwanese people wish to maintain the status quo. Yet, despite this, many are eager to disrupt the peaceful stance that the Taiwanese people desire, asserting that the idea of military unification with Taiwan should not be misinterpreted as freedom of speech.
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