President Ma Ying-jeou was in the outlying island of Kinmen on Friday. He was there to inspect construction at a harbor, and to preside over opening ceremonies for a hospital building, a new airport terminal, and a center for agricultural products.
During his visit, the president spoke about how development on Kinmen had been sacrificed due to its proximity to China. Located just about a kilometer off the coast of Fujian Province, Kinmen was long considered a front-lying island in the détente between Taiwan and China.
However, President Ma said that warming ties meant that it was time to speed up development on the island, and that it had little to do with politics or swaying voters.
The president was accompanied on his trip on Friday by the transportation and health ministers, as well as by local officials in Kinmen.
He said that he hoped construction on the Liaoluo Port could be sped up in order to keep up with the rapid growth in direct shipping between Kinmen and China.