Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers criticized the Yushan military drill as “ridiculous” during yesterday morning’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, claims that were rebutted by their Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) counterparts.
“The scenario for the simulation does not reflect reality at all,” KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) said.
Lin said it was obvious that it would be almost impossible for the Chinese military to attack the eastern shore of Taiwan, yet the war game simulates strikes on Hualien and Taitung before eventually moving on to Taipei.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) were involved in the simulation.
Chen was stationed at Dazhi’s Hengshan Headquarters while Lu was relocated to Taoyuan’s Army Headquarters.
“Since it is impossible for the Chinese military to attack the eastern shore, this simulation is pointless,” Lin said.
“Also, the vice president should be escorted to somewhere within a 15-minute drive because a long-distance relocation would risk the vice president being killed or assassinated by the enemy,” the KMT lawmaker said.
Lin also complained that the war games could be a waste of money.
“Such a simulation would help the government practice and know how to better react if such a circumstance took place,” Lin said.
“But the current government is stepping down next month. I don’t see any reason for such a simulation at the moment,” Lin said.
In response, DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said that the simulation was an annual activity.
It is supposed to be carried out at this time every year and it has nothing to do with politics, he said.
Tsai rebutted Lin’s complaint, saying that because the exercise was a simulation, the scenario was fictional and Lin should not get so upset.
“We must maintain regular national defense mechanisms no matter who is in charge of the government,” Tsai said.
“Since it was a war game, the scenario would be designed to reflect ‘potential’ attacks from the enemy,” he said.
“There is no need to overreact,” he said.
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