Yimou and Sarah Wu

DONGYIN/TAIPEI, Taiwan (Reuters) – Taiwan put the spotlight on a remote, strategically important island at a China chokepoint – potentially making it more vulnerable to attacks.

The defense ministry claims that the exercise on Dongyin is routine. However, this is because Taipei raised its alert after Russia invaded Ukraine and was wary of Beijing doing a similar thing.

The floating red cross was a symbol of advancing enemy troops and was shot by soldiers. Every shell sent water upwards through the calm waters.

Echoes from machine guns and cannon fire echoed around rugged coastline.

Even though Taiwan hasn’t reported unusual activity by Beijing since the Ukraine conflict began, a propeller-driven Chinese plane flew very close on February 5th. The unusual and extraordinary event made headlines for the usually sleepy islet.

Taiwan stated that it believed China had deployed a civilian plane to assess the response of its military.

Taiwan doesn’t publish information about its military presence in Taiwan, however the Dongyin Area Command is at the forefront of Taiwanese defenses since the 1950s.

Chieh Chung (researcher at the National Policy Foundation in Taipei) said that Dongyin’s forces have Taiwan’s Hsiung Feng II antiship missile and Sky Bow II surface to air missiles. This makes it “the most strategically important outlying island.”

Rocky Dongyin can be reached via overnight boat from Keelung port in northern Taiwan. This 1,500-person settlement is located on an important route for southbound Chinese forces coming from Zhejiang’s eastern province if Taiwan attacks.

Dongyin’s Hsiung-Feng and Sky Bow missiles are equipped. Chieh claimed that Dongyin was a threat to Chinese Communist’s aerial and naval movements.

A February seminar held in Taipei to simulate a Chinese attack against Taiwan saw retired Navy Rear Admiral Tan Chih Lung stating that Dongyin’s missile bases would be one of the first targets for a Chinese attack.

“The People’s Liberation Army is certain to go down destroy the Hsiung Feng nuclear missile base in Dongyin,” said he. “It is a must attack.”

An official with security familiarity with Dongyin said that the troop count was approximately 1,100.

“The missile base that is there is on the frontlines to stop any attack by our missiles. Why would we place such importance on a tiny area where it is impossible to transport larger military vessels and there are no airfields for our air force? The official declined to identify himself because the subject was sensitive.

Another security source confirmed that Dongyin was in danger due to the Chinese plane that came close to it. This proved to be of immense interest to China.

Source: “It’s key to control the northern part Taiwan Strait,” he said.

SOUNDS LIKE A GUNFIRE

Taiwan has governed Matsu since 1949 when the Republic of China government was overthrown and fled Taipei to retake control.

Dongyin does not exist as an isolated island, even though troops are present. Tourists have the opportunity to explore ex-military tunnels and take in stunning natural beauty, or go fishing.

Lin Te-chien from Dongyin said, “We are very familiar to these sounds,” as he watched Wednesday’s drills.

Taiwan has fewer forces than Matsu and Kinmen, but it does have a lot more troops now than in the 1950s-late 1970s, when both islands were being regularly bombarded from China.

Matsu, Kinmen and other issues continue to be a concern for Taiwan’s strategic planners. They have also been brought into sharper focus by the War in Ukraine.

Chiu Kuocheng, Defence Minister of China, stated to lawmakers that China had learned from the Ukraine war and could “speed up” any attack on Taiwan. They might target outlying Islands and launch precision missile strikes at targets in Taiwan.

Chiu stated that China has now the ability to accept Kinmen and other islands outlying from China.

“But they have not done it?” He asked. They want to settle all matters with just one strike.