Taiwan's Cross-Strait Water Worries: A Clash in the Legislature

Legislator Chen Yu-chen Raises Concerns over Kinmen's Water Supply Security, Sparking Debate.

In a recent session of Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, the issue of water supply to Kinmen, a Taiwanese island located near mainland China, sparked a heated debate. Legislator Chen Yu-chen of the Kuomintang raised concerns about the potential for the water supply from mainland China to be cut off, prompting a response from the Minister of Economic Affairs, Kuo Chih-hui.

During the questioning of Premier Cho Jung-tai, Chen Yu-chen questioned the government's stance on increasing Kinmen's independent water sources to avoid reliance on mainland China's supply. Kuo Chih-hui responded that Chen Yu-chen's concerns were valid, acknowledging that mainland China indeed constitutes an "external hostile force."

This prompted Chen Yu-chen to voice her worry, particularly in light of the government's response to mainland Chinese military aircraft crossing into Taiwan's airspace. Kuo Chih-hui then directly asked, "Do you support shooting them down?" To which Chen Yu-chen emphatically replied, "I support it."

The discussion began with Chen Yu-chen inquiring about the government's position on mainland China's plan to build a second water supply channel to Kinmen. While the Water Resources Agency stated that the water supply was sufficient, Chen Yu-chen questioned whether Kinmen's independent water sources truly accounted for 75% of its needs. Premier Cho Jung-tai responded with some hesitation, while Kuo Chih-hui weighed in, and clarified some details regarding Kinmen's water supply and capacity.