MAC approves water imports from China

Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday that the islands of Kinmen and Matsu may import water from China if water shortages force them to do so in the coming months.

"Under the implementation guidelines for the `small three links,' Kinmen and Matsu may purchase water from Fujian if the two islands suffer water shortages. Also, the Ministry of Economic Affairs lifted the ban on importing water from China last February," Tsai said.

Any purchase of water from China by the islands would require MAC approval.

Tsai was responding to a question from KMT Legislator Apollo Chen (陳學聖), who asked the MAC chairwoman's opinion of plans voiced by the two islands to purchase water from China.

Tsai was taking questions from the Legislative Yuan's Home and Nations Committee, to which she had reported on the status of the three links.

According to the Kinmen Water Department, the water level in Kinmen' s reservoirs has dropped below the level considered safe.

Worst hit is Little Kinmen (小金門), one of the islands under the jurisdiction of Kinmen County, whose current reserves of water would last only 39 days, the department said.

Kinmen County Commissioner Lee Chu-feng (李炷烽) believes that purchasing water from China would be the best way to solve the problem. He has instructed officials from the water department to research the cost of importing water from across the Strait, the quality of China's water and possible methods of importation.

The Kinmen island group is about 2km from Xiamen, the capital of Fujian Province.

Penghu County also wants to purchase water from China, although it is not considered part of the "small three links," which only apply to Kinmen and Matsu.

But Tsai said that Penghu would not be able to purchase water from China until the MAC has further evaluated the national security implications of the move. The Penghu archipelago is located on the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

According to the Penghu Water Department, county reservoirs have enough reserves to last until July.

The Taiwan Water Supply Corp (自來水公司) told the Chinese-language media yesterday that Penghu has no need to import water from China.

Li Weiyi (李維一), spokesman for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a weekly press conference yesterday, "Since the issue is about the interests of the citizens of Kinmen and Matsu, we would be pleased to provide active assistance."