Taiwan’s top military academies will not become tourist attractions, despite an appeal by Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), who said the schools would be a tourist draw.
The military has rejected Chen’s plan to launch tours that would include the city’s three officer training schools as top destinations, including those tailored for Chinese tourists.
The proposal has landed the popular mayor in hot water, including criticism from her own party, citing the sensitivity of opening such locations to throngs of Chinese tourists armed with cameras and maps.
DPP CAUCUS OPPOSED
“Because of national security concerns, the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] caucus is opposed to opening military installations or schools for Chinese tourists,” DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said.
The Republic of China (ROC) Military Academy, which trains army officers, the ROC Air Force Academy and ROC Naval Academy are all located in Greater Kaohsiung, but were originally founded in China between the 1920s and 1940s.
The city government, betting that the academies would attract large numbers of Chinese tourists, had proposed a sightseeing route that would allow tourists to visit the front gates of the three academies.
“As long as it doesn’t have security implications, we should open up [the schools] so people can gain a better understanding of the military schools and how military talent is cultivated,” Chen said, adding that the academies didn’t have any military secrets.
Chen reportedly commissioned the city’s tourism department to negotiate with the military over the request, which was widely praised by tourism operators.
MND RESPONDS
However, the Ministry of National Defense stonewalled the request and said it would only allow photography in front of the ROC Military Academy.
Ministry spokesperson Lo Shao-ho (羅紹和) said the three schools, which turn out thousands of officers a year, were not tourist destinations.
“We will study and look at whether we can open [some division museums] to Chinese tourists on special occasions,” Lo added.
The proposal by Greater Kaohsiung was the latest attempt to appeal to increasing numbers of Chinese visitors. The government opened Taiwan to Chinese free independent travelers as of June 22.
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