Many in Taiwan's Kinmen keen on warmer ties with mainland

Despite living under constant threat, many welcome economic benefits of closer links

- Yip Wai Yee

Every morning, a three-storey loudspeaker in Taiwan's Kinmen archipelago broadcasts a message across the water towards the Chinese city of Xiamen.

"Dear compatriots in mainland China, I am Teresa Teng," begins the recorded message by the late Taiwanese singer.

"I'm very happy to be able to stand on the front line of a free motherland... I hope our compatriots in mainland China can enjoy the same democracy and freedom as us."

The message is repeated several times, in between plays of her iconic song Tian Mi Mi (Sweet On You).

The long-decommissioned Beishan Broadcasting Wall, once used to pump out propaganda to the opposite shore during the Cold War, today replays such recordings at a much softer volume as part of a tourist attraction.

Visitors stand around listening while taking selfies, with Xiamen's gleaming skyscrapers clearly visible, even in the fog, just 3km away a striking contrast to the sleepy villages of Kinmen.

For the archipelago's 142,000 residents, the broadcasting site is symbolic of their mixed feelings about their giant neighbour.

Despite living under the constant threat of a military invasion from China, many wish to foster closer ties with their neighbour, lured by its economic rise, which has unfolded right before their eyes.

"Xiamen used to be really undeveloped, but look at it now and even then, it's only considered a 'Tier 2' city there," said Mr Wang June-shune, a Kinmen bubble tea shop owner.

"There's no denying that the Chinese market is huge, so of course I welcome having more interactions and integration with the other side," said the 52-year-old.

The idea was in the spotlight in September when Beijing unveiled a plan to transform Fujian - China's closest province to Taiwan and to which Xiamen belongs into a model zone for "integration" with Taiwan.