The nation's first female combat-status general is an electronic communications expert, specializing in information technology (IT) hardware and anti-virus computer software.
Chai Hui-chen (
A graduate from National Taiwan University's Horticulture Department, Chai didn't start her military career until after she was admitted into National Defense Medical College's Graduate Institute of Biochemistry. She later obtained a doctorate in computer science from Syracuse University in New York State.
After serving at electronic communications centers at various military units, Chai was promoted to her current post in July last year.
In the face of the rapid buildup of China's electronic warfare arsenal, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has stepped up electronic warfare combat preparedness with a view to establishing a three dimensional safety dragnet to maintain smooth communications and command operations, troop mobility and military barracks security. With her superb IT expertise, Chai has played an important role in this process, military sources said.
In recent years, Chinese have frequently tried to hack into Taiwanese government and military Web sites. Chai has often assisted government agencies in strengthening their firewalls to protect their communications systems and data banks, military sources said. Chai once said confidently that attacks from Chinese hackers had provided good opportunities to practice the skills needed to protect the military's communications systems.
The MND held a commissioning ceremony for the 44 soon-to-be generals at the Armed Forces Officers' Club in Taipei on Thursday, with Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (李傑) presiding. Both President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) attended the ceremony.
Chai was decorated with the major general's badge by her husband and daughter at the commissioning ceremony.
Seven were conferred with the rank of lieutenant general or vice admiral, and 37 were promoted to major generals or rear admirals.
Addressing the commissioning ceremony, President Chen said, in his capacity as the commander-in-chief of the nation's armed forces, that Chai's promotion symbolizes the efforts of the military to achieve gender equality in the military.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
RSS