The military parade on National Day will offer the public a unique opportunity to see "a gala display" of advanced military technology, the Presidential Office said yesterday.
A presidential official who asked not to be named said yesterday that while the details of the event were still being arranged, the armed forces would not be doing the goose step.
Chen would also respect the final decision of the ad hoc National Day celebrations committee, the official said.
At a separate setting yesterday, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
The army said that weather permitting -- clouds at 915m and a wind speed of no more than 24kph -- base jumping would be feasible, Wang said.
Wang said that the army had vetted the possibility of paratroopers jumping from somewhere near the Taipei 101 area through the former KMT headquarters and the Jingfumen (
The army came forth with the idea of a base jumping performance, Wang said.
While no budget has been earmarked for this year's Double Ten celebrations, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus whip Hsu Shao-ping (
Following protests by opposition lawmakers during last year's ceremony, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had proposed canceling future National Day celebrations.
Asked for comment, KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said: "President Chen's words are usually inconsistent," in reference to Chen's remark earlier that military reviews would no longer be held on National Day.
"I believe Taiwanese are quite used to this by now. No one should take his words too seriously," Ma said. "It is not the first time and will not be the last time he does something like this."
KMT Legislator Shuai Hua-ming (
"A military review has nothing to do with whether there is a goose-step march or not," he said.
"The army gave up the style four years ago and, whatever you want to call it, it is called a military review so long as the army is honoring the president," Shuai said.
Wang dismissed the KMT criticism, saying there is nothing bad about military performances, as they can help the public better understand the composition of the nation's military forces.
Wang said Chen and Ministry of National Defense Lee Tien-yu (
Calling the ceremony a "military performance" is "reasonable," Wang said, "because it will in fact be a military performance. The ceremony will be presided by me. How could I possibly do this if it were a military review?"
Wang said the committee would finalize the details of the ceremony on Friday.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus also defended the plan, saying it differed from the military reviews staged during the authoritarian era.
The objective of military parades during National Day celebrations is to "display the nation's military capacity," DPP Legislator Wang Shu-hui (
Ministry of National Defense spokesman Major General Yu Sy-tue (
Army Command Headquarters, however, confirmed that the ministry issued a notice on Thursday asking its airborne troops to "be prepared."
"As long as clouds are above 3,000 feet [915m] and winds at less than 24kph, holding a parachute show in front of the Presidential Office should be no problem," said a high-ranking Army officer who wished to remain anonymous.
The officer, however, said that the potential for injury remained, as landing amid a large number of tall buildings requires great skill.
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang and Flora Wang
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source