Taiwan and China have reached a consensus to pump water from China to the outlying Taiwanese island of Kinmen.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council Minister Andrew Hsia and his Chinese counterpart Zhang Zhijun reached the consensus during an official meeting. Zhang, who is head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Sunday that China had hoped to help with Kinmen’s water shortage problem 20 years ago. He said he hopes the two sides will sign an agreement and start construction of a pipeline soon. He also denied that China has a political agenda in providing such assistance.
Taiwan-controlled Kinmen is two kilometers off the coast of China’s Fujian Province. Kinmen has faced a water shortage as its underground water is being depleted. A pipeline from Fujian to Kinmen could supply the latter with much-needed water. But critics are worried that China, which has not renounced the use of force against Taiwan, will have too much control over Kinmen, the frontline of Taiwan.