Photo/Illutration Soldiers pay their respect at a ceremony commemorating the war against Chinese forces on the frontline island in Kinmen, Taiwan, on Aug. 23. (REUTERS)

KINMEN, Taiwan--Taiwan wants to continue its free way of life and rejects being ruled by China’s Communist Party, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Friday, visiting a frontline island between the two sides to mark a key battle with Chinese forces.

Taiwan has controlled the Kinmen and Matsu islands, which lay just off the Chinese coast, since the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taipei in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists. No peace treaty or armistice has ever been signed.

The scene of on-off fighting during the height of the Cold War, China’s coast guard has since February conducted regular patrols around Kinmen following the death of two Chinese people on a speedboat which Beijing blamed on Taipei.

On his first trip to Kinmen since assuming office in May, Lai laid a wreath and bowed his head in respect at a memorial park for the 66th anniversary of a clash with Chinese forces, known as the start of the second Taiwan Strait crisis.

Addressing veterans at a lunch and speaking off the cuff, Lai said he grew up with stories of the battle as his uncle served in Kinmen.

Taiwan must resist China’s threats, Lai added.

“Our aim is that we hope for peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan is a country that ardently loves peace. Taiwan’s people are kind,” he said.

“We are no longer trying to retake the mainland. But we are also unwilling to be ruled by the communist party. We want to continue a life of democracy, freedom, human rights and rule of law. Right?” Lai added, to shouts of “yes!”

The Taiwanese government continues to strengthen and spend more on the military and will defend the country’s sovereignty, he said.

Taiwan’s defence spending will rise 7.7% next year, outpacing expected economic growth, as it adds fighter jets and missiles to strengthen its deterrence against a rising threat from Beijing.

China views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory and has repeatedly denounced Lai as a “separatist”. He rejects Beijing’s sovereignty saying only Taiwan’s people can decide their future, but has also offered talks with China.

Jessica Chen, Kinmen’s member of parliament from Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, wrote on social media on Friday that her home should “not become a war zone.”

“The two sides of the Taiwan Strait need peace,” she added, having met Song Tao, the head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, in Beijing on Thursday to discuss re-opening the islands to Chinese tourists.

Kinmen at its closest is less than two kms (1.2 miles) away from Chinese-controlled territory.

The 1958 crisis was the last time Taiwanese forces battled with China on a large scale.

In August of that year, Chinese forces began more than a month of bombardment of Kinmen, along with Matsu, including naval and air battles, seeking to force them into submission.

Taiwan fought back with support from the United States, though the crisis ended in a stalemate. Taiwan observes Aug. 23 every year as the date it fended off the Chinese attack.

Formerly called Quemoy in English, Kinmen today is a popular tourist destination, though Taiwan maintains a significant military presence.

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