The Cold War: Chinese Off-shore Islands--The Tachen Islands (1949-55)

Figure 1.--This press photo shows Chinese boys tending goats on Tachen Island. It was dated December 13, 1954. The caption read, "Peaceful setting in a tension filled land. Chinese youngstersvtend goats atop a bill on upper Tachen Island, one of the Chinese Nationalist strongholds off the Red China coat. The rough terrain of the island presents a formidable position against a possibe Red attack from the mainland 14 miles away." The photograph was taken just as the storm over the Islands was about to break.

The Tachen Islands are located north of Taiwan off the coast of Chekiang/Zhejiang Province south of Shanghai. They are only about 14 miles off the coast. The Nationalists/Republic of China (ROC) maintained control of several the islands after the Communist victory on the Mainland because the PRC had virtually mo naval capability. Gradually the Communists seized the offshore islands, the most important being Hainan Island. The Tachen Islands were one of the groups the Nationalists held. The islands had little importance other than Shanghai, China's most important port was located to the north. The economy was agricultural and pastoral. Fishjing had been important, but made difficult because of the military situatiom. The Nationalists governed the islands as the capital of Chekiang Province. As other islands fell to the Communists, the Natiionalists built up their defenses and managed to hold on to the Tachen Islands. The islands were entirely unknown to the American public.

Created: 10:41 AM 10/13/2011
Last updated: 10:41 AM 10/13/2011