Kinmen: Tensions still high in the waters off Taiwan islands visible from China’s shore. But for locals, life goes on

Two weeks after two Chinese fishermen drowned while being chased by Taiwan’s coast guard, tensions remain high in the waters around Kinmen, a group of outlying islands controlled by Taiwan but nestled just a stone’s throw from the shores of China.

China’s coast guard ships are now a common sight in the area, making increasing incursions into Taiwan’s prohibited or restricted waters – a designation Beijing now rejects.

Signs of the most recent flare-up are also visible in the harbors of Kinmen, where dozens of fishing boats lie idle following temporary restrictions on fishing activities.

Boat tours around Kinmen are still operating, though under a closer watch by Taiwan’s coast guard. Officers visit each boat before they set sail and warn captains not to stray into Chinese waters.

But for most residents in Kinmen, which for decades had been a military frontline for Chinese aggression, it’s life as usual.