Fujian Surpasses 50 Million Tons of Water Supplied to Kinmen
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office announced on Wednesday that Fujian Province has cumulatively supplied over 50 million metric tons of water to Kinmen (Quemoy) since the cross-strait water supply project began operation in August 2018. The milestone underscores a rare and enduring example of practical cooperation across the Taiwan Strait.
Context: A Lifeline for an Island in Need
Kinmen, a Taiwanese-administered island county located just 2 kilometers off the coast of Fujian Province, has long struggled with chronic freshwater shortages. Its limited natural water resources and historical reliance on groundwater extraction led to problems including saltwater intrusion and land subsidence. The situation prompted Kinmen county authorities to first request water from the mainland as early as 1995.
After two decades of discussions, both sides signed a water supply agreement in Kinmen on July 20, 2015. Construction began later that year, and the project officially commenced operations on August 5, 2018, with an inauguration ceremony held in Jinjiang, Fujian.
Key Developments: A Milestone in Numbers
According to China Daily, as of July 1, 2026, Fujian had delivered more than 50 million metric tons of water to Kinmen. The current daily supply stands at approximately 22,000 metric tons, accounting for 87 percent of Kinmen’s daily tap water consumption. The water quality compliance rate has remained at 100 percent throughout the project’s nearly eight years of operation.
The water originates from Jinjiang’s Longhu (Dragon Lake), Fujian’s second-largest freshwater lake, and travels through a 28-kilometer pipeline system that combines land-based and submarine sections. The project has a designed daily capacity of 34,000 cubic meters, expandable to 55,000 cubic meters.
Spokesman Chen Binhua told a regular press briefing in Beijing that the project has effectively conserved Kinmen’s groundwater resources while addressing urgent livelihood needs. Chen noted that the initiative has earned broad support from Kinmen residents.
Analysis: The Politics of Shared Water
The water supply project carries significance that extends far beyond its technical specifications. For Chinese officials, it serves as a tangible demonstration of the “one family on both sides of the strait” (两岸一家亲) principle — the idea that closer ties with the mainland bring concrete benefits to Taiwanese residents.
As People’s Daily reported, Chen Binhua stated: “People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family, sharing water from the same river,” describing the project as “a model of cross-Strait cooperation in improving people’s livelihoods.”
For Kinmen’s local government, the project represents a practical solution to a long-standing problem. At the 2018 inauguration, Kinmen Magistrate Chen Fuhai expressed hope for “new three links” — water, electricity, and a bridge connection — between Kinmen and mainland China. However, the political sensitivity of such cooperation was evident when Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council blocked Kinmen officials from attending the 2018 inauguration ceremony in Fujian.
The project creates a complex dynamic for Taiwan’s central government: while it provides essential resources to Kinmen’s residents, it also establishes a growing dependency on mainland infrastructure. This tension reflects the broader challenge of cross-strait relations, where practical cooperation often intersects with political sovereignty concerns.
What’s Next: Expanding the Bond
Chen Binhua confirmed that the mainland will continue delivering safe, high-quality water to Kinmen, stating: “We will continue to deliver safe, high-quality, and clean water to Kinmen, using the flow of water as a bond to benefit people on both sides of the strait.”
Looking ahead, discussions continue around broader integration initiatives, including a proposed Kinmen-Matsu bridge and electricity interconnection projects. These proposals, if realized, would deepen the infrastructure links between the offshore islands and mainland China — a prospect that remains politically charged but practically compelling for the communities involved.
The 50-million-ton milestone is not merely a number. It represents nearly eight years of uninterrupted cooperation on a project that has transformed daily life for Kinmen’s residents while serving as a powerful symbol of what cross-strait collaboration can achieve when focused on shared human needs.