Kinmen: The Sleepy Fishing Island That Could Be East Asia’s Biggest Flashpoint
The island, administered by Taipei but just 2 miles from the mainland, has a culture and lifestyle all its own.
Kinmen, a sleepy fishing island administered by Taiwan but geographically part of China’s Fujian province, could become East Asia’s biggest flashpoint. Fishermen on the island are unaware of the proximity to China’s Xiamen city, located just 2 miles away. Many residents of Kinmen identify as neither Taiwanese nor Fujianese, but rather as members of their local identity.
The island remains relatively isolated, with a distinct lack of modern infrastructure, despite Taiwan’s economic boom in the 1980s and 1990s. The outlying islands were largely cut off from this prosperity, with a stark contrast between the well-maintained Xiamen and Kinmen’s worn-out, battered roads lined with crumbling houses.
Following the retreat of the Chinese Nationalist Party to Taiwan in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek held on to three strategically important islands: Kinmen, Matsu, and Dachen. These islands were intended to serve as a foothold for an eventual attack on China. However, the People’s Republic of China constantly bombarded these islands, forcing Chiang to abandon Dachen and retain Kinmen and Matsu.
The island of Kinmen experienced a lapse in infrastructure and nightlife development, remnants of martial law that prohibited outdoor activities after dark due to the threat of Chinese attacks. An island tour guide, Chen, explained that the fishermen are generally aware of the maritime border and refrain from crossing it, although there have been instances of detention and deportation of Kinmen fishermen by the Chinese authorities.
Access to transportation on Kinmen is limited, with no ride-hailing services, and the only 7Eleven on the island serves as the sole coffee shop for early mornings.
Written by urgent.news from The Diplomat's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
