Penghu

Taiwan’s outlying Penghu, Orchid and Green islands announced school and office closures in anticipation of severe weather brought by the typhoon.

The storm plowed into the eastern province of Fujian on Friday morning after bringing heavy rains and gale-force winds to parts of Taiwan, especially the Penghu island group, also known as the Pescadores.

Taiwan is however a member of the World Trade Organization, designated as a separate customs territory called Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.

In July 2014, a TransAsia ATR 72-500 flight crashed while trying to land on the scenic Penghu archipelago between Taiwan and China, killing 48 people onboard.

“We will not provoke disputes, and we will exercise self-restraint, but it does not mean that we will not counter,” she said in a recent speech on the Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait.