Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) departed from his script yesterday during the 87th Anniversary of the Republic of China (ROC) Military Academy yesterday and emphasized that the ROC military and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were two entirely distinct entities.
“The nation's army is the ROC Army, and the PLA is the PLA, a fact that serving or retired officers should all know,” Kao said.
The minister’s comments came in the wake of a recent controversy over comments allegedly made by retired Air Force general Hsia Ying-chou (夏瀛洲) on a visit to China.
Photo: CNA
According to reports in the local Chinese-language media, Hsia allegedly told a gathering of retired military officers that no distinction should be made between the ROC army and the PLA, as both were “China’s army.”
Hsia has denied ever making such a comment.
Kao commended the long-term contributions of the Military Academy and encouraged students to learn from their predecessors’ spirit of sacrifice and determination to fight, glorifying the spirit of Huangpu, as the Military Academy was known when it was founded in Guangdong Province, China, in May 1924.
Turning to wu de, or martial virtue, Kao said the armed forces must pursue the ideals of defending the country and people, and maintaining social stability, adding that martial virtue was in essence a soldier’s “second life.”
“If the military cannot subscribe to those ideals or even turn its back on them, it not only turns its back on the nation that trained them, but also on the people who put their trust in them, and this will have a deeply negative impact on national security,” Kao said.
Following news of Hsia’s alleged comments, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) ordered a thorough review of regulations over visits to China by retired military officers.
At a routine press conference by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on Wednesday, Taiwanese media asked whether the Chinese felt the continuation of the controversy over Hsia’s statement could affect military exchanges and mutual trust across the Taiwan Strait.
TAO spokesperson Yang Yi (楊毅) said the “deep exchanges” had increased mutual understanding and promoted peaceful development, which was an important development in relations between the two sides.
However, Yang also said limiting cross-strait exchanges or “actively fanning antagonistic ideologies” — a veiled reference to pro-independence forces in Taiwan — would be detrimental to the “hopes of the people across the Strait” and against the tide of cross-strait development.
It would also be unwise, Yang said.
Commenting on Yang’s remarks, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) accused the TAO of “blatantly carrying out ‘united front’ rhetoric,” adding that the remarks were tantamount to slapping Ma in the face.
DPP Legislator Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠) said the TAO’s strong language and assumed suzerainty over Taiwan was completely unacceptable to the DPP and Taiwanese.
Wong said retired generals who used inappropriate language that betrayed the nation and undermined trust in the government would rightly be criticized.
“We have our own stance and the TAO has no right and is in no position to criticize us,” Wong said.
TRANSLATED BY JAKE CHUNG, STAFF WRITER
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS