Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Publication Title

PRISM

Volume

12

Issue

1

Pages

149-167

Abstract

[Introduction] Kinmen County, Taiwan, stands as an anomaly in East Asia- it is an archipelago administered by Taipei but visually and geographically tethered to the coastline of the People's Republic of China (PRC). For over seven decades, these islands have served as the physical frontline of the unfinished Chinese Civil War, functioning first as a kinetic battleground and later as a laboratory for cross-strait engagement. Yet, to view Kinmen as a relic of the Cold War is to miss it's contemporary strategic significance. The region has now become the primary theater for the PRC's "Kinmen Model" (Jinmen Moshi, symbols redacted), a strategy that weaponizes proximity and developmental needs to erode sovereignty from within. Understanding this current campaign of irregular warfare requires first tracing the island's unique trajectory, which reveals how historical legacies of isolation have created the very structural vulnerabilities that Beijing now exploits.

Rights

© 2026 Irregular Warfare Center (IWC).

Included with the kind written permission of the copyright holder.

ORCID

0009-0007-4856-2896 (Murphy)

Original Publication Citation

Murphy, I. (2026). The contested Kinmen Model. PRISM, 12(1), 149-167. https://irregularwarfarecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026_Fall_PRISM_12-1.pdf#page=151

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