President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday that no threat can shake the people of Taiwan’s resolve to defend their nation. She made the remarks on the 64th anniversary of the Chinese bombardment of the offshore island of Kinmen. She said the nation's success in defending its frontline shows the people’s resolve. Tsai made the remarks while receiving a delegation from Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
Kinmen island lies less than 10 kilometers off the southeast coast of China. The shelling 64 years ago marked the beginning of the Second Cross Strait Crisis. After beginning its bombardment of Kinmen on August 23, the Chinese military fired 475,000 artillery shells over 44 days, but Taiwan held strong.
Military aid from the United States was key to Taiwan’s success during the crisis. Hoover Institution researcher James O. Ellis said his delegation’s visit shows continued US support for Taiwan. "Consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), part of this cooperation involves strengthening Taiwan's capabilities for self-defense as well as the ability of the United States to deter and resist any resort to force across the Taiwan Strait," Ellis told Tsai.