Mr. Chen went missing on Erdan Island last Thursday, and his presence was confirmed by Taiwanese authorities on Monday.
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published on 03/13/2023 at 09:13, updated on 03/13/2023 at 09:26
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Lieyu Island in the Kinmen Islands of Taiwan, August 10, 2022. Sam Yeh / AFP
Taiwan confirmed on Monday that a soldier stationed on an island on the outskirts of the city and not found for a week has been found in China. The reasons for his disappearance are under investigation. Mr Chen, whose last name is known, was reported missing during Thursday’s morning call on Erdan Island, less than five kilometers from mainland China.
Its presence on the mainland is “confirmed,” said Chiu Tai-san, chairman of the Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council. When asked if the soldier may have deserted, ChiuTai-san said the government will “investigate the situation,” adding that the Defense Ministry has “proper mechanisms for identifying deserters.” On Friday, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said it was too early to conclude that Mr Chen had “fled”. The latter is a member of the kitchen staff of the Lieyu Battalion Garrison in Erdan, according to the Taiwanese Army.
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Chinese intimidation
The island is part of the Kinmen Archipelago, located near the Chinese port city of Xiamen. The soldier’s disappearance comes at a time of strained relations between China and Taiwan, which Beijing considers one of its provinces to one day be retaken by force if necessary.
Chinese intimidation has increased in recent years. In 2022, then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan sparked China’s ire and sparked the most significant military maneuvers around the island in years. And last October, the ruling Communist Party in Beijing enshrined its opposition to Taiwan independence in its constitution.
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