President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday awarded Chief of General Staff Admiral Lee Hsi-ming (李喜明), who plans to retire after nearly 50 years of service, the Order of Resplendent Banner with Special Grand Cordon at the Presidential Office in Taipei.
Tsai thanked Lee on behalf of all Taiwanese for dedicating himself to safeguarding the nation since joining the military in 1970.
Tsai said she believes that Taiwanese agree that a strong national defense is the only way to guarantee national sovereignty and the values of democracy and freedom.
As Beijing continues to expand its military capabilities, Taiwan must develop its ability to wage asymmetric warfare to deter the threat posed by China’s military, she said.
In doing so, the nation would not only ensure safety in the Taiwan Strait, but also contribute peace in the region, she added.
In April 2017, Lee became chief of general staff and worked with others to carry out an overall defense concept and improve military exercises and the preparedness of joint operations, she said.
Lee was given the military order in recognition of his efforts to enhance the military’s overall capabilities, Tsai added.
In a few days, Lee is to retire, she said, adding that she would remember the contributions made to the nation and society by each senior military officer who has retired.
Tsai also thanked Lee’s wife, saying that because of her support, Lee has been able to protect the nation and Taiwanese without reservation.
Calling it a mission that Lee “must fulfill,” Tsai said that he should exchange leading military personnel to various locations with taking care of his family and traveling with them.
Tsai concluded her speech by wishing the distinguished officer success in his retirement.
Yesterday, the Ministry of National Defense announced that six officers, including Major General Lu Kun-hsiu (呂坤修), would be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, and 13 officers, including Colonel Wang Kuo-liang (王國樑), would be promoted to the rank of major general.
The appointments — routine promotions of general officers approved by the president — are to take effect on Monday, the ministry said.
With only 19 promotions, this is the smallest batch in the past few years, the ministry said, adding that a promotion ceremony would be held at 9am today at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club in Taipei.
Minister of National Defense Yen De-fa (嚴德發) is to preside over the promotion ceremony, which is to be attended by the president, high-ranking military officers and family members of the promoted officers, the ministry added.
Additional reporting by Aaron Tu
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
A white king snake that frightened passengers and caused a stir on a Taipei MRT train on Friday evening has been claimed by its owner, who would be fined, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. A person on Threads posted that he thought he was lucky to find an empty row of seats on Friday after boarding a train on the Bannan (Blue) Line, only to spot a white snake with black stripes after sitting down. Startled, he jumped up, he wrote, describing the encounter as “terrifying.” “Taipei’s rat control plan: Release snakes on the metro,” one person wrote in reply, referring
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
An inauguration ceremony was held yesterday for the Danjiang Bridge, the world’s longest single-mast asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, ahead of its official opening to traffic on Tuesday, marking a major milestone after nearly three decades of planning and construction. At the ceremony in New Taipei City attended by President William Lai (賴清德), Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), the bridge was hailed as both an engineering landmark and a long-awaited regional transport link connecting Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里)
RSS