President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday made her first visit to a military base in her role as the head of state and commander-in-chief, pledging to restore public pride in the army and make a military career appealing.
Accompanied by Minister of National Defense Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬), National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and Wu’s deputy, York Chen (陳文政), Tsai boarded a plane at Songshan Air Base in Taipei to fly to Hualien, where she visited the Hualien Air Force Base and the Chiashan Air Base.
The Hualien Air Force Base is home to the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, which has F-16 jets and RF-5 reconnaissance aircraft.
Photo: CNA
Its primary tasks in times of peace include photographic reconnaissance missions, as well as disaster prevention and relief.
The Chiashan Air Base is used as a training ground for the Air Education Training and Doctrine Development Command and includes a facility dug into a nearby mountain that can reportedly accommodate 250 aircraft.
“Today is the first time I have come here to meet with the brothers and sisters of our nation’s armed forces in my capacity as president and commander-in-chief,” Tsai said in her address, delivered against the backdrop of two F-16s.
Photo: CNA
Tsai said her visit was not an obligation, but was to demonstrate her determination to stand alongside the military in pushing for reform and defending the nation.
The bases are significant to national defense for two major reasons, Tsai said, including their roles as the most vital grounds for training exercises in eastern Taiwan and for preserving combat capabilities.
“You have all fulfilled your duties. Now, I am going to tell you what I can do for you,” Tsai said.
The president listed three goals: elevating the dignity of and restoring public pride in military personnel; transforming military service into an alluring career for young people by improving soldiers’ quality of life and the military’s management style; and assisting personnel to cultivate their second professional specialty to enhance their competitiveness in the job market if they leave the armed forces.
“I am here to tell you that the new government will steer our armed forces into a new era with our unequivocal strategic guidelines, meticulous policy planning, steady steps toward reforms, thorough communication with the public, and abundant resources and support,” Tsai said.
“As the Air Force of the Republic of China, we must not let others flaunt their prowess in our territorial air space,” Tsai said, vowing to safeguard the dignity, honor and welfare of soldiers.
Tsai joined 244 military personnel for lunch in a dinning hall at the Chiashan Air Base, where she gave another speech calling on the armed forces to defend Taiwanese lives and property, as well as the nation’s freedom and democracy.
Tsai also encouraged the military to make unreserved efforts in their disaster prevention and relief missions and to be the “rock of the people,” as the nation enters flood season after Dragon Boat Festival on June 9.
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
RSS