The 823 Artillery Bombardment refers to the conflict that started on Aug. 23, 1958, the day that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) started to shell Kinmen County and Lienchiang County’s Matsu Islands. It was not until Jan. 1, 1979, that the bombardment truly ended.
The reason for the bombardment ending was because the US established diplomatic ties with the PRC, recognizing it as the sole representative of China. Kinmen and Matsu, which historically belonged to China, became an umbilical cord connecting Taiwan and China.
In 1994, then-Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Shih Ming-teh (施明德), along with several Kinmen and Lienchiang county councilors, proposed withdrawing troops from the outlying islands.
When the 1950 Korean War erupted, Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) proposed the same idea, as maintaining military troops there was a severe financial burden.
Nowadays, Kinmen and Lienchiang have become a symbol between Taiwan and China, and residents of the islands possess an ambiguous identity.
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) announced his intention to secure a “Kinmen peace declaration” while pursuing his bromance with Taiwan People’s Party Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) under the moonlight in Kinmen. They shared their schemes as they listened to the waves crashing.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Wednesday commemorated the soldiers who died in Kinmen. Meanwhile, Ko and Gou, as well as New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, were in Kinmen as campaign rallies ramp up ahead of next year’s presidential election.
In politics, a “declaration” should refer to a consensus by two or more sides. Gou’s idea for a Kinmen peace declaration would involve Taiwan and China, yet neither has reached a consensus on the matter.
Under the “status quo,” his idea should be a mere “proposal.” That he failed to differentiate between a “declaration” and a “proposal” exposes his lack of political competence, raising questions about his suitability for the position of president.
[Gou has not announced his candidacy.]
In 1999, then-president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) proposed “special state-to-state relations” between the PRC and the Republic of China (ROC), which was in the “proposal” category. Lee would never have confused a proposal with a declaration.
In Lee’s proposal, he seriously contemplated and tried to include China’s perspective.
However, China did not respond well.
Can any of the presidential candidates or potential candidates who are calling for peace, but want to replace Tsai and beat the DPP’s candidate, Vice President William Lai (賴清德) — who were successors of Lee’s spirit — provide a cogent solution?
Years ago I proposed a conservation area in Kinmen and Lienchiang where the ROC could continue to exist. Based on the historical heritage, a free-trade zone could be set up, which could also capitalize on the tourism industry, boosting the local economy. Most importantly, it would be a buffer zone between Taiwan and China.
If residents of Kinmen and Lienchiang agreed, the ROC could be a museum preserving the party-state system in reality, satisfying those who have a historical attachment to that system.
In that way, maybe Taiwan could become a normal country.
On the anniversary of the 823 Artillery Bombardment, hopefully my humble opinions would spur a new discussion about the future of Kinmen and Matsu, giving Taiwan and China more options with which to walk toward peace.
Lee Min-yung is a poet.
Translated by Lee Chieh-yu
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