Dai Li Memorial Hall (戴雨農先生紀念館), the Military Intelligence Bureau’s (MIB) on-site memorial for intelligence operatives killed in the line of duty, was reopened on March 8 after two years of renovation.
The memorial houses the spirit tablets of 75 people killed while conducting intelligence operations at home or abroad, including military intelligence officers and assets, as well as a book of deeds of 4,903 military heroes.
The bureau also disclosed that Liu Liankun (劉連昆), a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) major general, executed by Beijing in 1999 for espionage, was among the fallen honored at the shrine.
Liu, the PLA’s then-director of logistics, was the highest-ranking Chinese officer the bureau has ever turned, a bureau official said on condition of anonymity, adding that Liu’s defection was motivated by discontent with China’s political direction at the time.
Liu passed on crucial intelligence to Taiwanese officials about the Qiandao Lake Incident in 1994, the missile crisis in 1996 and then-Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping’s (鄧小平) death in 1997, an official said.
PLA brigadier general Shao Zhengzong (邵正宗), who was also executed in 1999, is honored at the shrine next to Liu.
The shrine also commemorates major Ma Mei-chiang (馬美強), a military intelligence officer killed in Moscow in 2000 while on a mission.
As Liu and Shao died providing crucial intelligence to Taiwan, the bureau considers them martyrs of the nation, which justifies their enshrinement at the memorial, the official said.
It is customary for military intelligence officers to make an offering at the shrine prior to a mission, both to obtain blessings from the heroic spirits and to remind themselves that they must succeed in their mission or die trying, he said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said in a speech she made at the memorial to mark its reopening that elevating the nation’s intelligence capabilities has never been more important, as China refuses to abandon military aggression.
The motto “We write the blank pages of history” written on a wall at the memorial testifies to the uncelebrated and unknown sacrifices of the intelligence community in defense of freedom and democracy, Tsai said before extending her gratitude to their memory.
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