Lin Jih-shou was brewing tea last month in his popular breakfast joint when he heard the buzz of a plane — a rare sound on Dongyin Island (東引), which does not have an airport.
Lin, 64, rushed outside, but only saw the shadow of what the government later described as a small, propeller-driven Chinese aircraft that most likely was testing Taiwan’s military response.
It was a stark reminder to residents of Dongyin and other islands off China’s coast of the threat from their huge neighbor.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
The Matsu Islands were regularly bombarded by China at the height of the Cold War, and the history of conflict has focused minds on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and whether the same fate might befall them.
“When we watch Russia and Ukraine fighting, our hearts hurt,” Lin said. “War is too scary. There’s no need.”
Held by Taiwan since the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime fled China in 1949 after losing the Chinese Civil War, Matsu would probably be an immediate target for Beijing in a conflict, especially Dongyin’s missile base.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Yet even with China’s increased military pressure over the past few years, the archipelago has seen trendy businesses and a nascent art scene spring up.
On the main island of Nangan (南竿), former military brothels and underground bunkers house exhibitions that opened last month as part of the inaugural Matsu Biennial art festival.
Outlying islands are being reframed as “a front line of democracy,” said Lii Wen, who established the local branch of the Democratic Progressive Party in 2020.
Dongyin native Tsai Pei-yuan, born in 1993, the year after Matsu’s strict military rule ended, is part of a generation for whom war feels distant.
Two years ago, Tsai and two former classmates cofounded Salty Island Studio, a cafe and community hub that hosts arts workshops and plays.
“More urgent is trying to preserve our culture, which is disappearing,” Tsai said before a wine-tasting event last week.
The Ukraine war is a common topic of conversation for some — including jokes about where to hide if China invades.
“When we explore strongholds, we ask, if a war really starts, which nearby stronghold would we run to?” said Chung Jing-yei, 26, who manages a restaurant.
Chung said it was only after she moved to Nangan that she understood why so many here want to maintain the “status quo.”
“My belief that we should be an independent country is resolute, but at the same time, I don’t want war to happen,” she said.
Dotting the islands’ rugged coastlines are bunkers, abandoned or transformed into tourist destinations and boutique hotels.
Older Matsu residents have vivid memories of hiding in shelters from Chinese shelling and not being allowed to own basketballs for fear that they might use them to float across to China.
“I don’t think the two sides will fight,” said Lucy Lin, a 62-year-old taxi driver and bakery owner. “As long as you don’t step over the red lines.”
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) put Taiwan in danger, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday, hours after the de facto US embassy said that Beijing had misinterpreted World War II-era documents to isolate Taiwan. The AIT’s comments harmed the Republic of China’s (ROC) national interests and contradicted a part of the “six assurances” stipulating that the US would not change its official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, Hsiao said. The “six assurances,” which were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982, say that Washington would not set a date for ending arm sales to Taiwan, consult
A Taiwanese academic yesterday said that Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) disrespected Denmark and Japan when he earlier this year allegedly asked Japan’s embassy to make Taiwan’s representatives leave an event in Copenhagen. The Danish-language Berlingske on Sunday reported the incident in an article with the headline “The emperor’s birthday ended in drama in Copenhagen: More conflict may be on the way between Denmark and China.” It said that on Feb. 26, the Japanese embassy in Denmark held an event for Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday, with about 200 guests in attendance, including representatives from Taiwan. After addressing the Japanese hosts, Wang
RSS