On the eve of a significant conflict with Chinese forces, President Lai Ching-te—whose self-governing democracy is disputed by Beijing—visited the island of Kinmen.
As he visited a frontline island between the two sides to commemorate a significant battle with Chinese forces, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te stated on Friday that his country wants to maintain its independent way of life and rejects being dominated by the Communist Party of China.
As Lai was saying these things, the Chinese military conducted further maneuvers surrounding Taiwan, highlighting what the Taiwanese government perceives as Beijing’s continuous efforts to erode regional peace and stability.
Since 1949, when the defeated government of the Republic of China retreated to Taipei after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong’s communists, Taiwan has been in possession of the Kinmen and Matsu islands, which are located just off the coast of China. There has never been a signed armistice or peace treaty.
Kinmen, which saw intermittent warfare at the height of the Cold War, has been under constant Chinese coast guard observation since February, when two Chinese nationals perished aboard a speedboat, a tragedy for which Beijing held Taipei accountable.
During his first visit to Kinmen since taking office in May, Lai honored the 66th anniversary of the confrontation with Chinese forces that marked the beginning of the second Taiwan Strait crisis by laying a wreath and bowing his head.
Speaking spontaneously to a group of veterans over a lunch, Lai claimed that his uncle had served in Kinmen and that he had grown up hearing tales of the fighting.
Lai said, “Taiwan must withstand China’s threats.”
Our goal is to envision harmonious growth on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan is a nation that cherishes peace deeply. He stated, “People in Taiwan are friendly.”
“We’ve given up on retaking the mainland. However, we also refuse to submit to Communist Party authority. Human rights, freedom, democracy, and the rule of law are things we wish to preserve. Correct? Lai continued, amid yells of “Yes!”
Taiwan’s defense ministry announced shortly after Lai’s return to Taipei that it had seen 27 Chinese military aircraft conducting a “joint combat readiness patrol” with Chinese vessels on Friday outside the Taiwan Strait. It provided no precise location.
According to the ministry, which used its standard language for when China engages in such operations, Taiwan dispatched its own soldiers to maintain vigilance. The Chinese air force and navy are reporting virtually daily operations surrounding Taiwan, according to the ministry.
Regarding whether the most recent combat patrol was connected to Lai’s visit to Kinmen, the Chinese defense ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Speaking to the veterans and their families, Lai declared that Taiwan’s government will uphold its sovereignty and will keep investing in and strengthening its armed forces.
Taiwan plans to increase defense expenditure by 7.7% in the upcoming year, surpassing projected economic growth, as the island adds fighter planes and missiles to bolster its deterrent against Beijing’s growing threat.
China has called Lai a “separatist” on several occasions and sees democratically run Taiwan as its own territory. Although he has promised to hold negotiations with China, he opposes Beijing’s sovereignty and maintains that only Taiwan’s people can determine their own destiny.
The Kuomintang, Taiwan’s biggest opposition party, has a lawmaker from Kinmen named Jessica Chen. She stated on social media this past Friday that her house should “not become a war zone.”
After meeting with Song Tao, the director of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, in Beijing on Thursday to talk about reopening the islands to Chinese visitors, she said, “The two sides of the Taiwan Strait need peace.”
At its closest, Kinmen is situated less than 1.2 miles from Chinese-occupied land.
The last major conflict between Taiwanese forces and China occurred during the 1958 crisis.
In an attempt to subdue the Kinmen and Matsu, Chinese forces launched a bombardment that lasted more than a month in August of that year, involving air and naval combat.
With US assistance, Taiwan retaliated, but the conflict came to a standstill. Every year on August 23, Taiwan celebrates the day it repelled the Chinese invasion.
Known by its English name, Quemoy, Kinmen is now a well-liked vacation spot, despite Taiwan’s substantial military presence.
