Article Author:
Reuters
Ann Wang and Aleksander Solum
NANGAN/DONGYIN — On Taiwan's windswept Matsu island near the Chinese coast, one topic has been driving conversations lately: Invasion. is the possibility.
Ever since the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taipei after her 1949 defeat in China's civil war. Held by Taiwan. In the event of conflict, it will likely be an early target for Beijing.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, held major military exercises this month after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to her five of US Congressmen followed. and Monday.
The Taiwanese military has been closely monitoring China's movements, scrambled fighter jets and deployed warships to watch out for the Chinese navy.
Although it did not arouse alarm among the Taiwanese, the tensions highlighted Matsu's vulnerability.
``I don't feel particularly safe. said Dora Liu, 27, from Higashibiki Island, where they are based. major military base.
"A small island like ours can be demolished in an instant," she said. "In the event of war, there is no place to hide. No matter how many tunnels there are, if they are really occupied, there is no point in building tunnels."
Like the region, it has been threatened by Chinese invasion since 1949.
The islands were regularly bombed by China during the height of the Cold War.
Today, these islands are fashionable tourist destinations, lined with trendy coffee shops and boutique hotels, and tourists drawn to the islands' rugged natural beauty and wartime past. is attached.
Hope for communication
Although the military presence is much more subdued than it was in its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, signs of conflict are everywhere, from old bunkers to propaganda. Signs carved out of the rock with messages such as "Save our brothers on the mainland" can be seen.
Chien Chun-te, 40, who runs a breakfast stall outside a market on the main island of Nangan, said the new crisis outweighed previous tensions. also said to be worrisome.
"I think there is a possibility of war," Chen said. "But I hope that the people of both countries, and the governments of both countries, can communicate more. Without communication, it will only lead to hatred."
With tourists from all over the country, this is an important board for the local economy, making it difficult to book flights.
Huang Zichuan, 30, who has a telecommunications job in Taoyuan City, Taiwan, said this summer that she would spend a month at a guesthouse in the village of Nangan overlooking a scenic bay. made it
Like most Taiwanese, Huang has closely followed China's military exercises and considered his response in the event of war.
"If one day it really happens, of course I will fight for my country," Huang said.
He drew parallels between the Taiwan challenge and the war in Ukraine after the Russian invasion.
"Taiwan's relationship with China feels exactly like the relationship between the two countries." (Reporting by Ann Wang and Aleksander Solum, authoring by Ben Blanchard)
