Raichinger visits 'Yang'an Powder Keg' Jinmendao... "Will not accept CCP rule"

First Visit After Inauguration of Taiwan President

President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan visited the country's frontline military base, Kinmen Island, for the first time since taking office on the 23rd, stating that unity is necessary to counter the threat from China.

According to AFP, President Lai attended the 66th anniversary event of the "Kinmen Island Bombardment" held on Kinmen Island that day and emphasized, "If we want to resist future threats from China, we must unite as one."

President Lai, who took office in May, said he grew up hearing about the bombardment that occurred on August 23, 1958, from his uncle who served on Kinmen Island, and stressed, "We hope for peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait (China and Taiwan). We no longer seek to recover mainland China. However, we also do not want to live under the rule of the Communist Party."

He continued, "We want to continue a life of democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law," and insisted that Taiwan will increase its military spending, strengthen its military power, and defend its sovereignty.

Kinmen Island is only 6 km away from Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, and is known as the powder keg of the Taiwan Strait. Chairman Mao Zedong ordered the People's Liberation Army to begin shelling Kinmen Island on August 23, 1958, and a large-scale bombardment between China and Taiwan lasted for 44 days until October 5 of the same year. The bombardment resulted in the deaths of 618 soldiers and civilians.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Since the bombardment, Taiwan has held annual memorial ceremonies to honor the victims of the Kinmen Island Bombardment. The predecessor, President Tsai Ing-wen, avoided attending the bombardment memorial events after taking office in 2016 to avoid provoking China but attended in 2019, 2020, and 2023.

On the same day, shortly after President Lai returned to the capital Taipei from Kinmen Island, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense announced that the Chinese military conducted "joint combat readiness patrols" around Taiwan. The Ministry reported that 27 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighter jets, and warships were detected around Taiwan.