Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has called for continued military strength and national unity during a visit to the sensitive frontline island of Kinmen, saying peace must be protected "through strength."
In heavy rain, Lai laid a wreath and bowed at a memorial park for the 68th anniversary of the 1958 clash with Chinese forces, known as the start of the second Taiwan Strait crisis - the last time Taiwanese and Chinese forces battled on a large scale.
Addressing veterans later, Lai expressed gratitude to those who "stood united and fought a bloody battle to repel Communist totalitarian aggression."
"Our resolve to unite in defending national sovereignty and safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Strait must never waver," Lai said. "Peace has never simply fallen from the sky."
The 1958 battle proves "that peace is secured through strength," he said, adding it was necessary to maintain "the spirit of never yielding an inch" of Taiwan, Kinmen and another group of islands, while continuously boosting military spending.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taiwan has controlled the Kinmen and Matsu islands, which lie just off the Chinese coast, since the Republic of China government fled to Taipei in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists. No peace treaty or armistice has ever been signed.
The islands sit close to China’s coast, with Kinmen located less than 2 kilometres from Chinese-controlled territory.
During the 1958 crisis, Chinese forces launched weeks of bombardment against Kinmen and Matsu, with Taiwan resisting the attacks with support from the United States.
The crisis ended in a stalemate.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly criticised and denounced Lai, accusing him of separatism. Lai rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying Taiwan’s future should be decided by its people.
Lai also pointed to continued Chinese military pressure, including regular coast guard patrols around Kinmen since early 2024.
He said China’s actions had created uncertainty across the Indo-Pacific and called for continued investment in Taiwan’s defence capabilities.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s government has announced that it's defence spending will exceed T$1 trillion ($30 billion) next year for the first time, with Lai urging support for the increased budget.
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