Editorial | Cross-strait tensions ease with island visit
- Tour of Taiwan-controlled Matsu by small group of mainland Chinese is a positive sign that strained ties can be improved
The islands of Quemoy and Matsu just off the coast of southeast China’s Fujian province are close enough that they can be reached by ferry in about half an hour.
With tensions flaring off and on between Beijing and Taipei, these transport services are among the first things to be severed whenever an incident upsets strained cross-Strait relations.
It was therefore a welcome development to see mainland tourists arrive earlier this month on Matsu for a tour of the Taiwan-controlled island – the first group to visit since the mainland side eased travel restrictions after the pandemic.
The party was small – just seven people in the trade and tourism sectors made the trip from Fuzhou for three days to explore the island’s attractions, including the Giant Matsu Statue, a local liquor distillery and a scenic island village.
But in the world of fraught cross-strait relations, even a small tour can signal progress. It comes after the two sides finally agreed at the end of July to resolve a stalemate over the deaths of two mainland fishermen in February.
The men drowned after their boat capsized during a chase by Taiwan’s coastguard off of Quemoy, also known as Jinmen. The sides agreed to compensation for the victims’ families and to repatriate the bodies of both men as well as their vessel.