Since Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been in a state of division. In addition to Taiwan’s main island and Penghu Islands , the Kuomintang also has off-island counties and cities under Fujian Province, such as Kinmen and Lianjiang ( Mazu Islands ). Before the large-scale "three links" of "postage, trade, and navigation" were officially realized between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, they had already opened up small "three links" channels with the mainland, that is, the coastal areas of Fujian can directly connect to Kinmen and Mazu, so it is also called "small three links". After Tsai Ing-wen came to power, she provoked conflicts and conflicts between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and these offshore islands felt the deepest. Now the county magistrates of Kinmen, Lianjiang and Penghu gathered in Penghu to hold an "Out-island Forum" to directly resist the Democratic Progressive Party's "anti-China and Taiwan" strategy, and required Tsai Ing-wen to open up the "small three links" to restore peaceful exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. I will tell you what the specific situation is.
Kingmen, Penghu and Lianjiang County Mayors
History between Fujian's offshore islands and the two sides of the Taiwan Strait
1949 Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan, and the mainland's country was completely lost. At that time, Chiang Kai-shek also had many islands on the southeast coast and the remaining territory in the southwest, but they were already in danger and were in danger. Even Taiwan is full of rumors, and the people believe that the Kuomintang cannot defend Taiwan at all. Chiang Kai-shek also made the worst plan back then. If he lost Taiwan Island, he would go to the United States to take refuge through Southeast Asia. The morale of the People's Liberation Army eliminated the remnants of the Kuomintang in various parts of the mainland in a very short time, leaving only a few islands in Zhejiang, Fujian and other places still in the hands of the Kuomintang's defense forces. Due to insufficient sea power, we cannot solve the enemy in these places in one go. Until January 1955, the People's Liberation Army launched a liberation battle against -Jiangshan Island and -Dachendao in eastern Zhejiang. Under the joint combat between the People's Liberation Army, the sea and the air forces, the battle was soon over. On February 13, we liberated all islands in eastern Zhejiang. In the final stage, the Kuomintang only had Kinmen County and some Lianjiang County , Penghu Islands and Taiwan's main island.
Jinxia looks across the water
As early as 1951, the United States officially began to aid the Kuomintang entrenched in Taiwan. Chiang Kai-shek originally tried to make a comeback with the help of the Americans, but unexpectedly, the United States actually planned to let him give up all off-islands and withdraw his troops to Penghu and Taiwan. Chiang Kai-shek's Greater China sentiment was very deep. He was unwilling to become an abandoned son overseas, so he continued to strengthen the defense system and funding of Kinmen and Matsu Islands. Kinmen County is very familiar with us because of the relationship between Kinmen Battle , while Lianjiang County, which belongs to the Mazu Islands, is relatively unfamiliar. Lianjiang County is the only county in China under the management of both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Due to historical reasons, Lianjiang County was divided into two after 1949. The townships located above the land are managed by Lianjiang County in the mainland, while the Mazu Islands (Mazu Township) at the sea are managed by Lianjiang County of the Kuomintang. In August 1949, the People's Liberation Army liberated Lianjiang County, the Kuomintang's county government collapsed, and County Mayor Chen Gongbei fled to Taiwan. The 74th Kuomintang Army stationed in Lianjiang County was shot dead and captured more than 3,000 people by the People's Liberation Army. The remaining troops fled to the Mazu Islands and established the Mazu Defense Command.
Mazu
On December 15, 1950, the Kuomintang established the Mazu Administrative Office on Mazu Island, with eight districts under it. On August 15, 1953, Chiang Kai-shek upgraded the Mazu Administrative Office to the Northeast Fujian Administrative Office, and on August 17, the establishment of Lianjiang County was restored. The former Lianjiang County Magistrate Chen Gongbei, who had fled to Taiwan, was once again appointed as Lianjiang County Magistrate, and tens of thousands of soldiers stationed on the island to guard against each other. This is also one of the measures Chiang Kai-shek did not want to give up Kinmen, Matsu and other places. To this day, Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu are still regarded as front-line positions by Taiwan, with heavy troops guarding each., as far as Kinmen defenders were concerned, had a maximum of more than 130,000 people, but the population of these three places was not large. After the election was implemented, they were basically managed by the Kuomintang county magistrate. Many people living on offshore islands are descendants of veterans, and the Greater China complex is also very strong. Jiang Ching-kuo After allowing veterans to return to their hometown to visit relatives in their later years, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait began to gradually thaw. On December 2, 1993, the representatives of the public opinion of Taiwan's legislative body, Chen Guimiao and others proposed the "Off-island Construction Regulations". Kinmen and Mazu are no longer tense front lines, but are the front lines of cross-strait communication.
Penghu
In 2000, Taiwan issued the "Implementation Measures for the Trial of the Navigation of Penghu and Mainland China in Kinmen Mazu", allowing Kinmen, Mazu, Penghu and other places to directly communicate with the mainland. This realizes a small-scale "navigation, trade, and postal service", so it is also called "small three service". On December 15, 2008, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait achieved a large-scale "navigation, trade, and postal" ("big three links") in the true sense. It can be said that this is also the experience of "narrow three links". During the reign of Ma Ying-jeou, Kinmen and Matsu had close contacts with the mainland, especially Kinmen and the mainland were also connected with each other, and the friendship became deeper and deeper. is also because of this, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu and other off-site islands have also become thorns in the DPP's side, and they often suppress and exclude people from these three places. Political figures in these three places also generally have conflicts with the DPP, especially after the DPP Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, the conflicts between them gradually escalated.
Say "no" to the DPP
Kinmen and Mazu are under the jurisdiction of Fujian Province, which makes them a thorn in the DPP's "Taiwan independence" argument, because there is no place for these two places in the DPP's conception. or even in other words, the DPP hopes that the mainland will recover Kinmen and Matsu, so that Taiwan can truly cut off its ties with the mainland, which will also make it easier for them to carry out Taiwan independence conspiracy. The people in Kinmen, Matsu and other places are dissatisfied with the "anti-China and Taiwan" strategy operated by the DPP, protesting their continuous inciting hostility between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The current Kinmen County Mayor Yang Zhenzhen said in public more than once that "Kinmen needs peace, not war" . The current Lianjiang County Mayor Liu Zengying has frequently communicated with mainland China to negotiate cooperation. In February 2019, Liu Zengying led a delegation to Fuzhou to light up the lanterns for the "Two Horses in Spring and Lantern Festival". Lianjiang County has also strengthened cooperation with Fujian and other places, and has completely ignored Tsai Ing-wen's order to "anti-China and protect Taiwan".
Kinmen County Mayor Yangzhen,
Kinmen, Mazu and other places are in the mainland and can understand that they refuse to cooperate with the DPP. In the 1980s, it took five days and five nights for compatriots in Mazu to return to the mainland to visit their relatives, and to travel through Japan and Hong Kong to arrive in the mainland. Today's "Huangqi-Mazu" route only takes 25 minutes. In 2002, severe drought occurred on Mazu Island. The price of transporting water from Taiwan is very expensive. It was still the mainland that 2,300 tons of tap water loaded from Fuzhou arrived at Mazu Island , alleviating the urgent need. Kinmen, Matsu and the mainland are close at hand, and no one wants to leave the distance and go back to the hard days of the past. Therefore, Kinmen, Lianjiang and Penghu counties gradually came together and unified the front. Their goal is to restore good relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and resolutely resist the DPP’s “anti-China and Taiwan protection” strategy. Fortunately, the current Kinmen County Mayor Yang Zhenzhen, Lianjiang County Mayor Liu Zengying and Penghu County Mayor Lai Fengwei are both members of the Kuomintang, so it is easy to unify opinions.
Penghu County Mayor Lai Fengwei
On September 24, 2022, the "Offerent Island Forum" was held at the Pengcheng Hotel in Penghu County . The county magistrates, representatives of the legislative body's opinion and speakers of Kinmen County, Lianjiang County and Penghu County all attended, and everyone decided to work together. Because Taiwan Province will officially open next month, they want to call on the Tsai Ing-wen authorities to restore the "small three links" in the three counties and the coastal areas of Fujian. Due to the impact of the epidemic and tensions in the Taiwan Strait, exchanges and interactions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have tended to stagnate, and the "three links" have been severely damaged. Among them, the most serious injuries are these three outlying islands. They lack tourism support from mainland tourists, and the economic development of in various places has faced a certain degree of impact. Therefore, they urgently need to restore the "small three links" to make up for the economic gap. This year is the year of elections on the island. Except for Lianjiang County Mayor Liu Zengying is about to expire and step down, the remaining two can be re-elected. Restoring cross-strait relations is the best political view they have given to the local people, which can also ensure their smooth re-election.
Lianjiang County Mayor Liu Zengying
Overall, if we want to repair the cross-strait relations that have been damaged by the DPP and the Americans, the three offshore counties are indeed the best entry point. Restoring the "small three links" between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can enhance mutual civil exchanges to a greater extent, and exchanges are the basis for reconciliation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. But the realization of this beautiful wish depends on how the DPP authorities on the island plan. Next month, Taiwan Province will officially open and no longer implements the quarantine policy. Taiwan's deputy director of the Mainland Affairs Council, Chiu Chui-zheng, also said a few days ago: "The 'small three links' will of course be restarted, and it is also within the considerations and plans of Taiwan's official." , but he then changed the subject and claimed: "In the future, we will evaluate the epidemic on and off the island, as well as the cross-strait interaction situation, and conduct a 'rolling review and adjustment'." This shows that whether to restore the "small three links" will also become a bargaining chip for the Taiwan authorities to bargain with the mainland. Taiwan will strive to promote "using the epidemic to seek independence", and the so-called cross-strait interaction situation will not improve.
Qiu Chuizheng
In this year's Taiwan election, the DPP faces an extremely unfavorable situation. They will never include the restoration of cross-strait relations within their scope of their investigation. 's current statement is just a false statement and sending confusing signals to the outside world. Moreover, it is not only the DPP regarding opening up the "small three links" as a bargaining chip, but the KMT has also made a lot of work on this issue. Since senior American officials frequently visited Taiwan, the mainland has begun to dispatch military aircraft to patrol Taiwan Strait . This made the young and strong Kuomintang factions very dissatisfied, especially Hao Longbin, who once served as the vice chairman of the Kuomintang, whose words and deeds were even more extraordinary. In 2020, Hao Longbin clamored: "Mainland of China should express goodwill, otherwise the "small three links" between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can be cut off." . As a result, in less than half a month, the DPP really interrupted the "Miscellaneous Three Links". He also said: "The mainland faces Taiwan's identity and status. Otherwise, it is okay to completely interrupt the "three links" between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait." This statement is no different from the DPP, and it will even be even more serious.
Hao Longbin
This shows that in the eyes of the young and strong Kuomintang factions, the hard-earned "three links" between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are just a bargaining chip in their hands, which can be discarded at any time, and they completely forget the feelings and people's livelihood and welfare between the offshore areas and the mainland. Such politicians only have gains and losses in their minds of political interests, and never have the happiness and future considerations of the Taiwanese people. The politicians from the three offshore counties have now stood up and called on Tsai Ing-wen to restore the "Miscellaneous Three Links". Although I estimate that this policy will be difficult to implement before the end of the year, it should be promoted next year.
Cross-strait water supply project
The mainland now has extremely high kindness and expectations for Taiwan. We actively want to restore friendly exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, but we have been repeatedly obstructed by the DPP authorities and are still difficult to advance. The three offshore counties can indeed be used as a key to solving the dilemma of the Taiwan Strait. It is better to have communication than not, and communication can lead to a foundation for negotiation. Ko Wenzhe’s words make sense: “'One family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait’ is better than ‘One family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait’” . We can start from the three offshore counties to let the people feel the sincerity and kindness of the mainland, and then influence the people on Taiwan Island bit by bit.I believe that as long as the two sides of the Taiwan Strait resume normal communication channels, with the wisdom of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, we will definitely be able to find the best way to solve the cross-strait problem and strive to bring Taiwan home as soon as possible.
