Hsichu

1. THE EMBASSY HAS JUST LEARNED THAT ADMIRAL SOONG, CHIEF OF GS, MND, HAS INFORMED COMUSTDC BY LETTER DATED MAY 9 (NOT RECEIVED UNTIL MAY 18) THAT ON APRIL 30, A FLIGHT OF FOUR PRC FIGHTER AIRCRAFT FLYING AT 20,000 FEET AND 450 NM/PER HOUR "INTRUDED INTO THE AIRSPACE OF TUNGCHU AND HSICHU OF OUR MATSU AREA". SOONG FURTHER ADVISED THAT "THE INTRUDING AIRCRAFT THEN ESCAPED UPON THE FIRING OF OUR ADA UNITS". SOONG INTERPRETS INCIDENT AS MANIFESTING PRC INTENT "TO MAKE PROVOCATIONS"; AND THAT "THIS PROVOCATIVE ACT MIGHT LEAD TO SERIOUS CONSEQUENCE AND ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR MUTUAL DEFENSE POSTURE". SOONG ASKS COMUSTDC TO "TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS IN ORDER TO PREVENT ESCALATION OF THE STRAINED SITUATION IN THE TAIWAN STRAITS".

1977 June 3, “REPORTED GROC ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRING AT PRC AIRCRAFT IN VICINITY OF MATSU”, in Department of State Cable, number 1977STATE128240, published 2009, page 1

In the morning I had a discussion with military leaders, then left for Hsichu, where I was brief­ed by the commander and visited the troops.[…] At noon I called at Chingfan Village and saw that living conditions were much improved. Every family has vegetables and frequently meat. I took a boat across the strait to Tungchu.

1980 August 1 [1980 July 19], Ching-kuo Chiang, “President Chiang Ching-kuo continues his period of mourning and finds that visits to countryside and people give him renewed strength”, in Taiwan Today, archived from the original on 17 May 2020

One of the least defended islands of the chain, Hsichu, and another island, Tungchu, are regarded by locals as potential targets for Chinese attack.

1996 March 19, “TAIWAN: MATSU ISLANDS ARE ANCHOR OF TAIWAN'S LINE OF DEFENCE”, in AP News, archived from the original on 31 Mar 2023

This morning, Chao Chuan-sun, the county head from Matsu, festooned in campaign buttons and a hat proclaiming his support for President Lee, clambered into a boat heading for Hsichu, Tungchu's neighbor. "I'm going to the island because it is closest to the exercise," he said.

1996 March 19, Edward A. Gargan, “Off China, Isle Waits Nervously”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 May 2015, World

Chuang was attacked and abducted by mainland fishermen on 11th October near Hsichu island, part of the ROC-governed Matsu island group, while searching their fishing vessel which had been detained for illegal entry into ROC[…]

1997, Summary of World Broadcasts: Asia, Pacific, numbers 3090-3102, British Broadcasting Corporation, →OCLC, page 12