Chapter Eleven: The Stormy Weather of Fishing Island (End)

  The US government handled the Pescadores crisis very quickly, just after Ma Chongqi's telegram was transmitted back to the country. US President Nixon immediately convened a diplomatic and security meeting with Vice President Spiro Agnew, National Security Assistant Kissinger, Secretary of State Rogers, Defense Minister Lindon Johnson, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Director of Intelligence, among others.

  After careful consideration, they agreed with Ma Kung Wei's suggestion. Firstly, the United States must ensure the security of the First and Second Island Chains, encircling Soviet communism on the Eurasian continent; secondly, the United States is now powerless, if it weren't for the Vietnam War tying up too much American energy, then the US would not mind teaching Taiwan a lesson; finally, the US still has an ace in the hole, which is the Ryukyu Islands, whose strategic location is far more important than Diaoyu Island.

  This time the US originally planned to use the Diaoyu Islands incident to create trouble for China, and then regardless of how China reacted, hand Okinawa over to Japan, making the mainland Chinese central government understand that you must cooperate with the US in order to have a way out.

  It ended with Taiwan being forced to withdraw from the United Nations, trading in its seat for cooperation between the Chinese central government and the US to jointly resist Soviet expansion. This plan was gradually put on the agenda by the US as the situation in Vietnam worsened, but what the US did not expect was that Taiwan, which was supposed to be the least problematic part of the plan, revealed a fatal flaw, causing the plan to be abandoned halfway.

  Lin Feng soon received a response from the US government via Ma Kangwei, agreeing to all his conditions. Not long after, the Japanese government also retreated, and for Japan, which had just achieved economic success, it had to heavily rely on the US in both military and political aspects. Without the support of its master, Japan could only watch as the Chinese controlled the waters around the Diaoyu Islands.

  The US government also privately promised Japan that it would hand over the Ryukyus to them in the future, and the Japanese stopped saying anything after receiving this promise. As for Taiwan, Lin Feng didn't not want to take over the Ryukyus, but rather Taiwan currently doesn't have the capability to achieve this goal.

  The Ryukyu Islands are located at a critical point on the First Island Chain, with an extremely important strategic position. The United States cannot hand them over to either mainland China or Taiwan, because if the mainland and Taiwan unify in the future, it would be tantamount to giving China a free gift.

  So after understanding these things, Lin Feng didn't entangle himself with the Ryukyu Islands issue anymore, only opposing handing over the Ryukyus to Japanese management. In the end, the Ryukyus were still controlled by the United States.

  In mid-July, the tumultuous Diaoyu Islands incident came to an end, with Taiwan emerging as the ultimate winner. Not only did it successfully force the Japanese government to issue a public apology and compensation, but it also effectively controlled the waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands.

  Diaoyu Islands consist of Diaoyu Island (main island), Huangwei Islet, Chiwei Islet, Nanxiao Island, Beixiao Island and three small islets, namely Da Bei Xiao Island, Da Nan Xiao Island, Fei Xian Island, totaling eight uninhabited islands.

  Lin Feng was very happy but also a bit depressed, his strength was not enough, he could only reluctantly accept this seemingly good result, if his strength was sufficient, he would directly go up and beat the little Japanese guy down.

  After completing these, Lin Feng shifted his main energy to economics and military affairs. In the past few months, the ten major constructions have been steadily advancing, but the drawbacks of insufficient finances have emerged. The US trip of Finance Minister Li Guoding was also affected by the Diaoyu Islands incident and did not go very smoothly. Now they can only borrow from the oil-rich countries in the Gulf.

  Due to the Diaoyu Islands incident, the US suffered a great loss of face, so it's likely that the US will secretly sabotage this loan, making the already difficult borrowing process even more challenging. This is the Finance Minister's problem, Lin Feng temporarily needs to reorganize Taiwan's military strength.

  Through the Diaoyu Islands incident, Lin Feng deeply felt the importance of military strength. In fact, after returning from the mainland, Lin Feng had been discussing plans to reform the military with Chiang and Chiang Ching-kuo.

  Based on the actual situation in Taiwan, Lin Feng and Chiang Ching-kuo decided to first establish an elite force as a pioneer for military reform throughout Taiwan, accumulating experience for future new military reforms. Lin Feng will serve as the colonel commander of the newly established special forces, responsible for establishing and training this new force.

  On June 20, 1970, at 9:00 am, Taiwan's Minister of National Defense, Huang Chieh, boarded the Tiaoyutai Islands on the Taiwanese warship Chungshan. The personnel accompanying him restored and renovated the markers symbolizing Chinese sovereignty on the island. This time, Taiwan planned to leave a defensive force on the island, and later the Taiwanese authorities would also build a helicopter airport and a small military base on the island.

  Diaoyu Island is located approximately 356 kilometers northeast of Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, 385 kilometers east of Fuzhou, Fujian Province, and 190 kilometers northwest of Keelung City. It is about 417 kilometers (225 nautical miles) southwest of Naha Airport. The island is shaped like a sweet potato, with an east-west length of approximately 3.5 kilometers and a south-north width of approximately 1.5 kilometers, covering an area of approximately 4.3 square kilometers. The terrain is relatively flat in the north and steep in the south, with a central mountain range running east-west; the highest peak has an elevation of 362 meters, located in the center; there are also several peaks with elevations of 320 meters, 258 meters, and 242 meters, as well as four main streams. Located on the East China Sea continental shelf, the Diaoyu Islands are actually an extension of Taiwan's Datun Mountain.

  Diao Island, with an area of about 4.3 square kilometers, is the largest of the eight small islands. The island's base rock is exposed, with sharp peaks and thin soil, lacking fresh water. Rhododendron, palm trees, and purslane are found everywhere, while aloe vera grows in dense clusters. These plants have adapted to the strong winds at sea by growing short and stout, many of which are precious medicinal herbs. There is a type of seaweed called "sea hibiscus" that grows in the rocky crevices along the coast, which is an effective remedy for rheumatism and high blood pressure. Many coastal medicine collectors in our country have been collecting medicinal herbs on Diao Yu Tai Island for generations.

  Huangweiyu, located in the northeast of Diaoyu Island, is a steep cliff standing upright in the sea. Tens of thousands of seabirds inhabit this place. Every year from April to May, flocks of seabirds almost block out the sky above Huangweiyu. The number of seabirds laying eggs on Huangweiyu is astonishing. Those who land ashore can easily pick up the eggs. Since the birds rarely come into contact with humans and people seldom hunt here, the birds are not afraid of humans, making them extremely easy to catch.

  Huangweiyu is also known as "Bird Island" due to the abundance of birds. The Diaoyu Islands are a habitat for Pacific seabirds, but it seems that these seabirds have two distinct families, each inhabiting Huangweiyu and Beixiaodao respectively, while Diaoyu Dao serves only as a resting place between the two islands. During the day, the seabirds from both islands leave their respective islands to forage for food, and when they are tired, they rest on Diaoyu Dao before returning to their respective homes on Huangweiyu and Beixiaodao in the evening. In addition to its rich birdlife, Huangweiyu is also home to an abundance of seafood. The lobsters here are particularly large, with some as big as ducks.

  Another famous creature on the island is the centipede, which is about 20-30 cm in length and has two colors: red and black. They grow in dark stone crevices and shine when walking in sunlight.

  Beixiaodao and Nanxiaodao are isolated in the sea, forming a natural "Snake Island Strait" with Diaoyu Dao. From a geographical perspective, they were originally one island, but due to fault activity, the land sank, and the island split into two. Although they share the same origin, each has its own characteristics. Beixiaodao is famous for its many birds, while Nanxiaodao is known for its many snakes, also earning it the name "Snake Island". From a distance on the sea surface, the flat sandy beach stretches over 100 meters, connecting to another steep slope over 300 meters high, forming a majestic and magnificent landscape with mountains and seas reflecting each other.

  The southern small island is full of snakes, and they are all over the island. The largest ones are as thick as a bowl mouth, while the smallest ones are as thin as a little finger. The color of the snakes is generally yellow or black, but they are all non-toxic. The southern small island may be due to too many snakes, and birds have become extinct. In addition, the fishing islands have no mosquitoes due to strong winds and lack of fresh water.

  Chiwei Islet is the easternmost island of Dongyin Island, Penghu Islands. It is located at 124°34′09″E ~ 124°33′50″E, 25°53′54″N ~ 25°54′06″N, with an area of 0.0609 square kilometers. Also known as Chi Islet, Chikan Islet, Chiwei Mountain, Chiwei Island, and Chiwei Reef.

  Danan Island is part of the Diaoyu Islands. Also known as Snake Island, it got its name because there are many snakes on the island. The island is currently uninhabited.

  Dabei Island, also known as Beixiaoyu or Bird Island, is part of the Dongsha Islands and is located in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It has an area of 0.30 square kilometers and is currently uninhabited.

  Tobi Island is one of eight small islands in the Fishing Tai Islands, with an area of 0.0008 square kilometers.

  The Diaoyu Islands incident was perfectly resolved for a time, making the Taiwanese government widely praised within the island. Many people on the island believed that the government was able to withstand US pressure this time, putting national interests first and re-incorporating the Diaoyu Islands into its jurisdiction, demonstrating the courage and vision that government departments should have.

  In addition to the successful implementation of the Ten Major Construction Projects, the unemployment rate on Taiwan Island has decreased. Most importantly, the relationship between the two sides of the strait has eased, giving people confidence in Taiwan's future. Not long after, universities such as National Taiwan University organized several batches of students to visit Diaoyutai, and these activities, which were vigorously promoted by the KMT, have slowly changed the image of the government in people's eyes.

  Through this diplomatic event, the impression of the KMT government among various circles in Taiwan has greatly improved. However, there are still some small-minded people who are secretly stirring up trouble and slandering others. Since Chiang Kai-shek is still around, these people have not been able to stir up a big storm for the time being, and Lin Feng has not been able to catch them in the act. They will be dealt with once an opportunity arises. These people are all key figures of the Democratic Progressive Party and Taiwanese separatists in the future. Lin Feng really did not see through them, except for one person who would later become President - Lee Teng-hui. This man is too good at pretending, and to this day, he has not revealed his true nature. He was able to deceive Chiang Ching-kuo into trusting him as a Taiwanese separatist, only revealing his true face after Chiang's death. Indeed, there are two brushes.

  Also, those overseas students who have been drinking Western "ink" for a few years and have forgotten their ancestors, becoming the vanguard of Western countries' attacks on China.

  As the number of Taiwanese students studying abroad increased, the Taiwan independence movement, which was originally based in Japan, gradually expanded to the United States, Canada, and Europe. Many new Taiwan independence groups emerged, such as the "All-American Taiwanese Independence League", "European Taiwanese Independence League", and the Canadian "Taiwan Human Rights Committee".

  After entering the 1970s, some Taiwanese organizations scattered around the world united to form a global "Taiwan Independence Alliance" and set up their headquarters in the United States. These people Lin Feng temporarily didn't have the strength to clean them up, but later Lin Feng will clean them up one by one.