copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-08-22): The Matsu Islands[lower-alpha 1] (UK: /ˌmætˈsuː/ or US: /ˌmɑːtˈsuː/[4]), officially Lienchiang County[lower-alpha 2] (/ljɛnˈdʒjɑːŋ/), are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea governed by the Republic of China (Taiwan), situated alongside the southeastern coast of mainland China. The archipelago forms the smallest county in the ROC-controlled territories by area and population, as well as one of two counties that is a part of the nominal Fuchien Province. [...] In 1911, the Qing dynasty was toppled after the Xinhai Revolution on 10 October 1911 and the Republic of China (ROC) was established on 1 January 1912. Matsu Islands were subsequently governed under the administration of Fukien Province of the ROC. On 1 August 1927, the Nanchang Uprising broke out between the ruling Nationalist Party of China (KMT) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which marked the beginning of Chinese Civil War. [...] The Matsu Islands comprise 19 islands and islets,[53] which include five major islands, which are Nangan, Dongju and Xiju (both in Juguang Township), Beigan and Dongyin.[19] Minor islands include Liang Island, Gaodeng Island, Daqiu Island and Xiaoqiu, which are part of Beigan Township.[54] The shortest distance between Huangqi, Lianjiang County and the Matsu Islands is also the shortest distance between China (PRC) administered territory and territory in the ROC (Taiwan)-administered Matsu Islands.[55][56]
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-01-05): Taiwan’s Matsu Islands prepare for a possible China invasion: ‘I don’t want to die, but we have to fight’ Beijing has been ramping up military pressure on Taiwan ahead of crucial elections next week. On the Matsu Islands – which would be the first line of defence if an attack were launched – Kim Sengupta speaks to soldiers and civilians preparing for China to make good on its threats to take control of the nation [...] Matsu and Kinmen, another island between China and Taiwan, experienced fierce fighting between the communist forces under Mao Zedong and the nationalist army of Chiang Kai-Shek as Chiang’s forces retreated from the mainland to Taiwan at the end of the civil war.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-27): Matsu Island, small island under the jurisdiction of Taiwan in the East China Sea, lying off the Min River estuary of mainland China and about 130 miles (210 km) northwest of Chi-lung (Keelung), Taiwan. Matsu is the main island of a group of 19, the Matsu Islands, which constitute Lien-kiang (Lienchiang) hsien (county). The island has a hilly terrain of igneous rock and a monsoonal subtropical climate. Fishing is the main economic activity. The islanders also raise vegetables, grain, hogs, and chickens, aided by an extensive system of reservoirs and wells. Once part of the mainland’s Fujian province, Matsu and the other islands were occupied by the Nationalist Chinese when they were driven from the mainland to Taiwan in 1949. Thereafter, Matsu and Quemoy Island to the south were central to the ongoing tension between Taiwan and the mainland, and both subsequently came under periodic artillery bombardment by communist forces on the mainland. One such incident, in 1958, provoked an international diplomatic crisis when the communists combined a heavy bombardment with the demand that the Nationalists surrender. The standoff was diffused only after the United States had interposed the 7th Fleet between the mainland and Taiwan. The island group remained under military rule until 1992. Area Matsu Island, 4 square miles (10 square km). Pop. (2003 est.) county, 8,732.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-05): At the adoption of Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China in the 1990s, these islands collectively form the "Free area of the Republic of China" or known alternatively as "Taiwan Area", which legally defines the territorial extent under the actual control of the ROC government. [...] Matsu Islands [edit]- Matsu Islands (馬祖列島) [...] The PRC claims the islands of Taiwan and Penghu as part of its 23rd Taiwan Province, together with the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands (claimed as "Diaoyudao Islands"), which are also claimed by the ROC as part of its own Taiwan Province. The PRC claims Kinmen (Quemoy) as a county of the prefecture-level city Quanzhou, in Fujian Province. Matsu is claimed as part of Lianjiang County, part of Fuzhou, in Fujian Province. The Wuqiu islands are claimed as part of Xiuyu District, a district of the prefecture-level city Putian, in Fujian Province. Pratas Island is claimed as part of Chengqu in Shanwei (Swabue) Guangdong Province. The Nansha Islands controlled by the ROC, i.e. Taiping Island and Zhongzhou Reef, are claimed as part of Sansha, in Hainan Province. The PRC thus claims the ROC-controlled islands as part of its own Taiwan Province (Taiwan and Penghu), Fujian Province (Kinmen, Matsu and Wuqiu), Guangdong Province (Dongsha) and Hainan Province (Nansha).
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-12): The Matsu Islands (馬祖列島 or mazu liedao) are a fascinating frontier region of Taiwan. [...] The Matsu Islands are formally Lienchiang County (連江縣 or lian jiang xian). They are the smallest and least populated of Taiwan’s 14 counties. Taiwanese usually refer to the islands simply as "Matsu" (媽祖). [...] Matsu Islands (along with Kinmen, another group of Taiwan-owned islands just off the coast of China) then became a major battlefront between Taiwan and China, with regular bombings between the two sides for the next decade.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-07-24): The Matsu Islands, located on the Chinese coastline but considered part of Taiwan, have a complex historical background. While historically separate from Taiwan, they came under its control after Chiang Kai-shek’s Republic of China lost the civil war to Mao Zedong’s Communist Party. Today, Matsu and Kinmen are integral parts of the Republic of China. This article explores the islands’ history, unique characteristics, and their distinct position in the region. [...] The Matsu Islands, also known as Mazu, along with Kinmen, form a separate archipelago belonging to Taiwan but located off the Chinese coastline. Historically, Matsu had no direct connection with Taiwan, except for a period when both islands were part of China’s Fujian province (albeit briefly in the case of Taiwan). The present inclusion of Matsu and Kinmen within Taiwan is a consequence of Chiang Kai-shek’s loss in the civil war against Mao Zedong in 1949. These two islands are the only territories from mainland China that the Republic of China managed to retain. Consequently, I prefer to view Matsu and Kinmen as part of the Republic of China rather than Taiwan. The Republic of China is a nation that survived the civil war defeat and established its presence in Taiwan and the surrounding islands.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-07-05): The Matsu Islands are one of Taiwan’s offshore islands, also known as Mazu 马祖. Geographically they’re a lot closer to China’s Fujian province than they are to mainland Taiwan itself – kinda like Kinmen Island. In fact the Matsu Islands used to be considered a part of China, which is one of the reasons the islands ended up becoming a battlefront in the fight between Taiwan and China. The Matsu Islands doesn’t just refer to a single island, but a collection of islands in Taiwan’s Lienchang County and are generally broken down into 4 areas:
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2008-04-30): Named after the goddess "Mazu", Matsu Archipelago is located northwestward by west in Taiwan Strait, which is the very water Matsu had saved many sailors' lives. The Matsu Islands are composed of dozens of islands, including Nangan, Beigan, Juguang, and Dongyin. The chain occupies the northernmost edge of the Taiwan-Penghu-Kinmen-Matsu area at the west-northwest side of the Taiwan Strait, just a stone's throw from mainland China. During the opposition to the mainland communist regime, Matsu served as Taiwan's front-line defense, turning the island landscape into battlefield scenes of psy-war slogans, defensive tunnels, and troops. [...] Differences between Matsu and the main island of Taiwan can also be seen in the building materials, architectural styles, and functional aspects of residences in Matsu. Some of the better-known villages include: Niujiao, Jinsha, and Tieban on Nangan Island; Qinbi and Qiaozai on Beigan Island; and Fuzheng and Dapu on Dongju Island. In addition, Matsu is a paradise for sea fishing thanks to its numerous bays and reefs, as well as ocean currents that channel abundant marine resources to the island throughout the year. Matsu also has many well-known local specialty products, including Matsu Aged Liquor and Tong Yung X'Old Kaoliang Liquor, both favorites served at state banquets. A wide variety of seafood and processed seafood products, healthy red yeast cuisine, pickled vegetables, and pastries also make good souvenir gifts for home.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2010-11-04): Quemoy, now known as Kinmen, is within a few miles of the China coast at the entrance to the important port of Xiamen. Matsu is also located just a few miles off another major port of China. Both islands are over a hundred miles from Taiwan. When Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist army was defeated on the mainland by the Communists in 1949, he and about 600,000 of his troops fled to Taiwan, to where the government of the Republic of China was transferred. During that retreat, the Nationalists fortified Quemoy and Matsu. In October 1949, the Nationalists repelled a serious invasion attempt by the Communists to seize Quemoy. [...] So, what did happen to Quemoy and Matsu? Fifty years after the Kennedy-Nixon debates, Quemoy and Matsu are still in the hands of the Republic of China on Taiwan. Because of the relaxation of tensions between the PRC and Taiwan, the military presence on both Quemoy and Matsu has been reduced substantially. Both islands have become destinations for tourists from both the mainland and Taiwan. And, as a reminder of those turbulent times of the 1960 presidential debates, the extensive fortifications and tunnels constructed to defend the offshore islands are now major tourist attractions. Quemoy and Matsu, flash points during the Kennedy-Nixon debates, never flared up.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-08): Matsu (馬祖 Mā-cū in Mindong, Mǎzǔ in Mandarin) is the name for a group of islands off China's southern coast, approximately 160 km (100 miles) NW from the island of Taiwan. The island falls under the jurisdiction of the Taiwan-based Republic of China (ROC), and along with Kinmen, forms the front lines between the ROC and the People's Republic of China (PRC). [...] There is military everywhere. Since each island is essentially a large military fortification with small civilian villages scattered throughout, try not to end up on one of their installations, which they prefer you not take pictures of either. Although controlled by the Taiwan-based Republic of China government, the Matsu islands are officially considered to be part of Fujian province and not part of Taiwan by both the PRC and ROC governments. [...] See [edit]The Matsu Islands have been designated an official National Scenic Area by Taiwan's government, and there are extensive interpretive signs and directions posted throughout the islands in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean. There is a full list of official sightseeing destinations on the scenic area's official website. Most or all destinations, including former military sites, and be visited completely free of charge.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-03): In official PRC statistics involving Taiwan, "Taiwan Area" is widely used instead, corresponding to the ROC's Free Area of the Republic of China, and is treated together with Special Administrative Regions rather than other provinces.[9] Taiwan Province only includes Taiwan and associated islands such as the Pescadores Islands, but "Taiwan Area" (the same as "Taiwan Area" as used by ROC, a.k.a.) is all area administered by Taipei and includes Fujian islands such as Kinmen, Matsu, as well as (at least in principle) Pratas Island (Tungsha/Dongsha) (part of Cijin District, Kaoshiung; claimed as part of Guangdong Province by the PRC) and Taiping Islands (assigned to Kaoshiung by ROC, and to Sansha and Hainan by PRC).[citation needed] In 2017 Xinhua News Agency issued guidelines mandating no scare quotes for all members of local governments of Taiwan authorities (except Fujian and Lienchiang) and preferring the term "Taiwan Area" over the term "Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China", since the latter does not include the Kinmen and Matsu islands.[10]
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-21): The archipelagos of Kinmen and Matsu are uniquely vulnerable among Taiwan’s territories. Both island groups are located over 100 miles from the main island of Taiwan but just off the PRC’s coast: the westernmost of the Matsu islands is around six miles from the PRC, while Kinmen’s main island is as close as two miles from the PRC city of Xiamen. The islands have remained under Republic of China (ROC) control since the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) under Mao Zedong failed to conquer them at the end of the Chinese Civil War. Kinmen and Matsu remained the primary arenas of PRC–ROC armed conflict from 1955 to 1979. The PRC heavily bombed Kinmen and Matsu during the Taiwan Strait Crises of 1955 and 1958, and both sides intermittently exchanged volleys of both lethal and nonlethal artillery fire until the United States normalized relations with the PRC in 1979.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-12-12): These islands have all the requirements that make it easy for China to wage a cognitive warfare. First, the islanders’ culture and disposition are close to that on the Chinese mainland. Kinmen and Matsu did not experience Japan’s colonial rule, and historically, political rule has been sustained from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China. In some cases, the residents have relatives living in China. Second, they are closer to the Chinese mainland than to the main island of Taiwan, so it will be easy to foster a sense of identity as one livelihood zone. Kinmen already receives water supply from China through underwater pipelines. This situation is similar to the relationship between Hongkong and China or between the Crimean Peninsula and Russia.[5]
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-02-09): The past year saw yet more heated debate over definitions of what "one China" means. Beijing asserts that there is widespread international acceptance of and agreement with its "one China principle," which sees Taiwan as part of a Chinese state represented by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The PRC accuses the United States of departing from what it claims is Washington’s long-standing acceptance of the PRC position, given U.S. efforts to improve cooperation and contact with Taipei. In reality, the United States’ "one China policy" states that Washington does not take a position on Taiwan’s sovereignty and merely "acknowledges" the existence of a Chinese position even as Washington officially recognizes the PRC as the government of China. The United States reserved the right to maintain unofficial relations with Taiwan as it sees fit. Taipei’s official position is that it is already independent as the Republic of China (Taiwan), whose jurisdiction covers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other outlying islands.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-11-09): 1) The breadth of the territorial sea of the People's Republic of China shall be twelve nautical miles. This provision applies to all territories of the People's Republic of China, including the Chinese mainland and its coastal islands, as well as Taiwan and its surrounding islands, the Penghu Islands and all other islands belonging to China which are separated from the mainland and its coastal islands by the high seas. 2) China's territorial sea along the mainland and its coastal islands takes as its baseline the line composed of the straight lines connecting basepoints on the mainland coast and on the outermost of the coastal islands; the water area extending twelve nautical miles outward from this baseline is China's territorial sea. The water area inside the baseline, including Pohai Bay and Chiungchow Straits, are Chinese inland waters. The islands inside the baseline, including Tungyin Island, Kaoteng Island, the Matsu Islands, the Paichuan Islands, Wuchiu Island, the Greater and Lesser Quemoy Islands, Tatan Island, Erhtan Island and Tungting Island, are islands of the Chinese inland waters. [...] The Taiwan and Penghu areas are still occupied by the United States by armed force. This is unlawful encroachment on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the People's Republic of China.Taiwan, Penghu and such other areas are yet to be recovered, and the Government of the People's Republic of China has the right to recover these areas by all suitable means at a suitable time.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-11-11): Area total : 35,980 sq km land: 32,260 sq km water: 3,720 sq km note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Kinmen islands comparison ranking: total 138 [...] note - separate customs territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu [...] Note: commercial and cultural relations with its citizens in the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts, represented by Ambassador Alexander YUI (since 11 December 2023); office: 4201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; telephone: [1] (202) 895-1800; fax: [1] (202) 363-0999
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-07-02): The PRC has long promoted increasing economic ties with the ROC in aid of broader unification goals. Historically, it has found strong support for economic development projects in the ROC-controlled offshore island groups of Kinmen (金门, Jinmen) and Matsu (马祖, Mazu) (Commonwealth Magazine, December 17, 2019; Taipei Times, July 29, 2012; Taipei Times, July 6, 2019), which were the first ROC territories to establish limited postal, transportation and trade links with China in the 2000s—the Three Mini-Links (小三通, xiao san tong). County magistrates in Kinmen and Matsu have also supported establishing water, electricity, natural gas and bridge links—the "New Four Links" (新四通, xin si tong) or "Four Mini-Links" (小四通, xiao si tong)—with China (China Brief, August 31, 2020; China News, February 13, 2019).
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-03-18): The South China Sea Islands are part of the territory of the Republic of China. That the ROC is entitled to all rights over the South China Sea Islands and their relevant waters in accordance with international law and the law of the sea is beyond dispute. [...] Not only is Taiping Island part of ROC territory, it is also an important base from which Taiwan makes concrete contributions to regional peace and stability. On July 19, 2016, President Tsai Ing-wen put forth four principles and five actions pertaining to issues in the South China Sea. [...] Taiwan will continue to uphold the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea while based on the values of peace, humanitarianism, ecological conservation, and sustainable development. The ROC is willing, through negotiations conducted on the basis of equality, to work with all States concerned to advance peace and stability, as well as protect and develop resources, in the South China Sea.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-23): Taiwan has controlled the Kinmen and Matsu islands, which lie 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. [...] 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. [...] "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 reopening the islands to Chinese tourists.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-01-15): 1958 - Taiwan Strait Crisis. Communist China shells the Nationalist-controlled islands of Kinmen or Quemoy and the Matsu Islands to probe the extent of the US support for Taiwan. Air and attempted amphibious landings see about 1,000 troops killed. [...] 1979 - Washington switches diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei. US Congress passes the Taiwan Relations Act promising to help the island defend itself. [...] 2022 - Relations between Taiwan and China deteriorate sharply following a visit to the island by US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. China carried out military exercises, including the firing of ballistic missiles, focussing on six zones around Taiwan, three of which overlap the island's territorial waters.
Claim: Matsu Islands is a territory of Republic of China (Matsu Islands, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-09): - The commitment that the future of the ROC (Taiwan) must be decided in accordance with the will of the Taiwanese people. [...] Islands, Kinmen Islands, Matsu Islands and a number of smaller islands, while China has been under the control of the authorities in Beijing. Beginning with the acceleration of Taiwan’s democratization in the late 1980s, many restrictions concerning civil exchanges with China have been lifted. Today, Taiwan is one of the biggest investors in China. Between 1991 and the end of December 2022, approved investment in [...] Strait. As long as the Beijing authorities are willing to resolve cross-strait antagonism and improve cross-strait relations, Taiwan is willing to jointly promote meaningful dialogue on the basis of parity and dignity. Taiwan also looks forward to the gradual resumption of normal and orderly exchanges between the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait when the pandemic is brought under control. Lastly, the government will continue deepening cooperation with the U.S., Japan and other like-minded countries to counter China’s threats to Taiwan, promote regional peace, stability and prosperity, and protect the nation’s interests.