Sleepy Taiwan island plans casino - 馬祖

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18978901

Sleepy Taiwan island plans casino

By Cindy Sui
BBC News, Matsu
25 September 2012 Last updated at 02:03 GMT

http://tinyurl.com/9zwbae7
Matsu's residents are looking forward to a bigger airport that could come
with the construction of Taiwan's first casino

Calm waves roll up onto the shores of Matsu as birds chirp. It is quiet
throughout the day practically everywhere on this island chain, located
northwest of mainland Taiwan.

But this peaceful atmosphere could change soon.

The economy of Matsu once depended on the 50,000 soldiers stationed here when
it was an important military outpost in Taiwan's defence against a Communist
takeover during the Cold War.

But now only 5,000 soldiers live here, partly because of improved relations
with China. The population of civilians is around the same - many young
people have moved to mainland Taiwan for jobs.

That is why a majority of Matsu's voters recently agreed in a referendum to
allow casinos to be built here for the first time. It is part of the
long-held dream of Taiwan's Kuomintang ruling party to build a casino
industry in Taiwan, after seeing the success of Macau and Singapore.

http://tinyurl.com/8lw77n3
Promises of convenience and prosperity won over Matsu residents who voted for
the casino

Many of Matsu's residents consider casinos a necessary evil. For decades,
they have felt neglected, waiting for better transport, including a bigger
airport that would allow planes to land in foggy and windy weather.

"It's very important for us to have more Chinese tourists here. It will help
our economy, create more jobs and improve our infrastructure, especially by
building a bigger airport," said Hung Hsien-chang, chief engineer of the
local tourism bureau.

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More visitors from China are expected with the casinos' opening.

'Unpredictable'

Even though relations with China have improved to the best level since the
war ended, the islands see only about 7,000 Chinese tourists a year. Matsu
wants a lot more and sees casinos as the easiest way to get them - the
operators, not government, will have to foot the investment bill.

On top of a hill, Mr Hung points to an island across the water where one
operator, Weidner Resorts Taiwan, wants to build a huge casino resort and a
new airport to accommodate the tourists.

There are few buildings on the island now. But its green hills could be
dotted with high-rise hotels soon. Weidner expects 4.5m Chinese
tourist-gamblers a year. Many could easily take the half-hour ferry ride over.

An influx of Chinese gamblers could dramatically change Matsu's calm
atmosphere. But promises of convenience and prosperity have won over the
local residents.

Weidner Resorts has also promised to build a college town, as well as a
causeway linking the two main islands. It estimates the casinos will earn
NT$10bn ($344m; ￡221m) a year in gaming and tourism revenue and has offered
to give Matsu residents as much as NT$80,000 a month in subsidies.

But not everyone is convinced. Stationary store owner Chen Shu-lian is
worried about the dangers of relying economically on a China that is
undemocratic and unpredictable.

"We can't be sure about Communist China's policies. Tomorrow they may
suddenly decide not to support our gaming industry and not spend money here.
This will hurt us," said Mr Chen.

That happened in 2009 in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung city, which suddenly saw
a sharp drop in Chinese tourists. It was widely believed that Beijing had
simply ordered Chinese travel agencies to stop organising tours to the city,
out of anger that it hosted the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama,
despite Beijing's objections.

There are fears the same could happen in Matsu. The islands lack the
necessary infrastructure to accommodate so many visitors. Water and
electricity may have to be supplied from China, which is only 20 km away -
much closer than mainland Taiwan.

War legacy

Relations with China were not always this close. At Matsu's war museum,
leaflets and other propaganda material sent by China's artillery shells in
the 1950s and 60s are on display. In them, China makes relatives urge those
who had fled to Taiwan to return to the mainland.

A video at the museum shows soldiers loading up artillery shells to defend
the islands against China's attacks.

Su Mei-bao, 58, still remembers those tense times. He revisited a bomb
shelter where he hid with other villagers from Chinese artillery. It is now a
storage facility. But he describes the panic as everyone rushed in to take
cover.

"Thirty to 40 people would seek shelter in here. We would stay here for an
hour. Some of my friends and neighbours were injured and handicapped by the
debris from the buildings that were hit," Mr Su said.

But times have changed. Like many Matsu residents, he has put the war in the
past.

"Back then it was two political parties [the Nationalists and Communists]
feuding with each other, it actually had little to do with us ordinary
people," he said.

Mr Su operates a bed and breakfast hotel which also sees Chinese tourists.

But the relaxed atmosphere now masks the fact that, although ties are at
their best since the war ended, Matsu is still on the front line. China
continues to sees Taiwan as a part of its territory, and wants it back one
day. No peace treaty has been signed.

It still has 1,500 missiles targeted at Taiwan. That makes people here
worried. But Matsu's residents, like many Taiwanese people, believe they have
no choice but to build closer economic ties with their giant neighbour.

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