Kinmen Residents in Taiwan View US-China Summit: Both Concern and Hope

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a heads-of-state summit in Washington. Xi expressed to the Trump administration his hope that the Taiwan issue would be handled with caution. Kinmen, located at the frontline of Taiwan, is less than two kilometers away from Xiamen, China. Residents on the island are arguably among those who feel the most direct impact of the US-China tug-of-war surrounding the Taiwan issue. Regarding the US-China summit, some residents are worried, while others harbor hope.

Zhou Hongda, a 40-year-old real estate agent, stated in an interview with Reuters that the rivalry between the US and China will affect Taiwan's economy, many economic aspects of Taiwan, and even its national status, causing genuine concern. He feels that even with TSMC serving as the "guardian mountain of the country" that makes other countries dependent on us, when it truly comes down to the interests of other countries, they may not necessarily treat Taiwan's interests as their own, nor will they necessarily consider Taiwan's interests to be their own; they will certainly prioritize protecting the interests of their own countries.

Lin Quanheng, a 30-year-old hotel manager, believes that US-China dialogue is beneficial for Taiwan. He said: "I think it's a good thing for Taiwan that China and the US have started talks. Because Taiwan has no way to engage in dialogue with China on an equal footing, and as for the US and China, they certainly hope to resolve things peacefully."

Washington has always been Taiwan's most important international supporter. Currently, an arms sales package to Taiwan valued at approximately 14 billion dollars is still awaiting approval by the Trump administration.

Reported by Voice of America journalist Liu Anmin in Washington.