In Taiwan’s sleepy Kinmen islands, which have been described as the frontline of any potential conflict between Beijing and Taipei, the mood is far from warlike. From their sandy shores, the glistening skyscrapers of Xiamen, a Chinese coastal city just three miles away, are a winking reminder of the wealth and security that Beijing promises to deliver to Kinmen should Taiwan and China be unified.
But as politicians in Taipei debate the likelihood of armed conflict with Beijing, which wants to unify China and Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to do so, the Taiwanese citizens of Kinmen see a past and future that is inextricably linked with the superpower next door.
