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Taiwan at critical juncture, needs arms: Chen

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday that Taiwan is now at a critical juncture of metamorphosis on many fronts, including constitutional reform, the detente across the Taiwan Strait, diplomatic development and the upgrading of national defense.

Chen made the remarks while addressing a commissioning ceremony for 55 newly promoted generals and admirals.

"Over the years of development, Taiwan has become a liberal democracy. But it is now facing many new challenges," Chen said.

At this historical moment, the president said, Taiwan must establish an elite military force to guarantee a safe and stable environment for constitutional reform, cross-strait detente, civic participation in diplomatic affairs and refinement of defense capabilities.

As commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Chen said he wants to join all service members in fulfilling the military's core values of "sacrifice, unity and accountability" with "courage, conviction and trust."

Noting that the ultimate goal of Taiwan's military buildup is to maintain a balance of military power with China, Chen said that Taiwan must establish an elite force strong enough to deter any invasion and repel any possible attack from China.

In recent years, senior US officials have frequently expressed concern about China's rapid military expansion and missile deployment, Chen said.

The soon-to-be-released Pentagon annual defense white paper is also expected to mention US concern about China's growing military power.

Chen said that three weaponry systems his administration has proposed to purchase from the US -- eight diesel-electric submarines, six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries and a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft -- have been chosen after a comprehensive professional assessment and extensive public debate.

"We regret that the procurement plan has been excessively politicized. With the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan refusing even to put the procurement package into its work agenda, our national defense network may have a loophole that could eventually upset the military balance in the Taiwan Strait and the entire Asia-Pacific region," Chen said.

He expressed hope that all military personnel can stand even more united and redouble their efforts to hone their combat prowess to safeguard national security and cross-strait stability.

With the evolution of modern warfare, Chen said, Taiwan must establish an all-volunteer military service system to upgrade the quality of service members, enhance combat prowess and boost military operational efficiency.

Noting that increasingly sophisticated weapons require trained professionals to operate them, Chen said the military must step up recruitment of volunteers so that these advanced weapons can be operated appropriately and for the weapons' efficacy to reach their fullest potential. A volunteer service system is also expected to increase job opportunities for young people, he added.

While congratulating the new generals and admirals, Chen also demanded that all senior officers further improve management mechanisms and risk-reduction measures to minimize accidents and casualties in military training programs and enhance safety in military barracks.
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