Legislators castigated the Ministry of National Defense (MND) regarding the name for Taiwan’s latest warship class, the Tuo Jiang-class corvette (沱江艦), demanding that the vessel’s designation be changed and saying the military has flouted a 2005 legislative resolution.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) led the renaming drive on Wednesday, a day after the nation’s newest corvette, the Tuo Jiang 618, was commissioned into active service by the navy at the east coast port of Suao (蘇澳).
Questioning Minister of National Defense Yen Ming (嚴明) at a legislative session, Tsai said he disapproved of the name “Tuo Jiang” because it is the name of a river in China, while the nation’s new vessels should be named after Taiwanese places and geographical features.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) followed up by asking Yen if the new corvette class’ name can be changed.
Yen responded that if the legislature passes a new resolution to change the name from “Tuo Jiang,” then the ministry would respect the legislators’ decision.
Tsai said the ministry’s decision to use the name “Tuo Jiang” for the new corvette class, referring to a river in China’s Sichuan Province, contravened a legislative resolution passed in 2005 that stipulated the military must name new warships and submarines after historic figures, places and geographical features in Taiwan.
Tsai said naming the nation’s vessels after places in China amounted to “singing a duet with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army [PLA]” and that “it further confused Taiwanese soldiers regarding which homeland nation they would be fighting for in time of war.
“When we have Taiwanese names for our warships and submarines, this can inspire our armed forces’ determination and fighting spirit in defense of our Taiwanese homeland,” Tsai added. “Therefore, I wish to see the MND respect the legislature’s resolution [in 2005].”
Other critics said the case indicated that some senior military officials are still stuck in the past, holding on to an old KMT ideology with pro-China sentiments and viewing China as their motherland, while denigrating the people and cultures of Taiwan.
Yen said the name of the new corvette class had an important historical meaning — to commemorate the original Tuo Jiang amphibious assault ship, which fought with distinction, but was heavily damaged in naval battles against PLA ships during the August to September phase of the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis.
That ship had been converted from a US PC-461-class submarine chaser. The original ship was 450 tonnes and 53m long, and was made by the shipbuilding firm Nashville Bridge Co in December 1943. After World War II ended, the US gave it to the Republic of China Navy in 1948.
In spite of the historic significance to the navy, Tsai said naming the new stealth missile corvette s“Tuo Jiang” is anachronistic and misguided.
“It has no meaning and no emotional attachment for citizens of this nation. More than 90 percent of Taiwanese have no idea where this river is,” Tsai said.
He requested that the public be alowed to participate in a contest to give the new missile corvette class a name of Taiwanese origin.
However, Yen said that it is his personal wish that no change be made to the name of the ship.
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