On Thursday last week, Black Hawk helicopter No. 933 of the Republic of China Air Force Air Rescue Group made a forced landing in the Tonghou Stream (桶後溪) ravine in New Taipei City’s Wulai District (烏來). The helicopter was carrying 13 military officers, eight of whom, including Chief of the General Staff General Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴), were killed in the crash, while five others sustained injuries, but were rescued.
The crash happened just nine days before tomorrow’s presidential and legislative elections, but in view of the tragic loss of life, election campaign events were partially suspended and President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) ordered flags to be flown at half-mast nationwide.
NOT THE FIRST TIME
There have been 25 military aircraft crashes in Taiwan over the past two decades. In the past 10 years, three Black Hawk helicopters, which are expensive aircraft, have crashed.
Two years ago, a Black Hawk crashed into the sea while transferring a patient from Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) for medical treatment, resulting in the deaths of six people.
AN UPHILL TASK
Restricted as it is by an ever-changing international situation, Taiwan faces great difficulties in buying weapons from abroad. Especially when it comes to precious armaments such as airplanes and submarines, trying to obtain them is an uphill task.
Taiwan faces troublesome conditions imposed by arms sellers, as well as a hostile state’s strenuous efforts to block arms sales.
The few military aircraft that Taiwan does possess are a precious resource, so when they crash it has a significant effect on their availability.
More important still is the difficulty of replacing lost personnel.
Electronic gadgets have done so much harm to young people’s eyesight that it is hard to find anyone who is not nearsighted and would be fit to be trained as a military pilot.
READINESS IS KEY
Military aircraft must be ready and available to take part in defense and rescue missions. However, their availability came under stress on New Year’s Day, when government activities were not just limited to flag-raising ceremonies and organized walks. The military was also called upon to cooperate with city and county governments’ efforts to boost tourism.
The air force dispatched warplanes including Indigenous Defense Fighters, Mirage 2000s and F-16s to fly in formation over Longpan Park (龍磐公園) in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春), the square in front of Hsinchu City Hall and Hualien City’s Pacific Park.
Taiwan faces a hostile state whose military might is growing ever stronger, and which frequently tries to intimidate Taiwan by crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and flying around the perimeter of the nation’s airspace.
In view of this threat, entertainment-oriented flyover missions should be kept to a minimum, so that the nation’s precious military aircraft would be available to perform their core duties.
This would ensure that Taiwan’s defense equipment remains in optimal condition, as planned, to prevent enemies from making irrational provocations and incursions whenever they feel like it.
Lai Ming-huang is an engineer with a doctorate from National Cheng Kung University and a former regional engineering department head of the Directorate-General of Highways.
Translated by Julian Clegg
In an article published by the Harvard Kennedy School, renowned historian of modern China Rana Mitter used a structured question-and-answer format to deepen the understanding of the relationship between Taiwan and China. Mitter highlights the differences between the repressive and authoritarian People’s Republic of China and the vibrant democracy that exists in Taiwan, saying that Taiwan and China “have had an interconnected relationship that has been both close and contentious at times.” However, his description of the history — before and after 1945 — contains significant flaws. First, he writes that “Taiwan was always broadly regarded by the imperial dynasties of
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will stop at nothing to weaken Taiwan’s sovereignty, going as far as to create complete falsehoods. That the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has never ruled Taiwan is an objective fact. To refute this, Beijing has tried to assert “jurisdiction” over Taiwan, pointing to its military exercises around the nation as “proof.” That is an outright lie: If the PRC had jurisdiction over Taiwan, it could simply have issued decrees. Instead, it needs to perform a show of force around the nation to demonstrate its fantasy. Its actions prove the exact opposite of its assertions. A
A 50-year-old on Wednesday last week died while under anesthesia at a Taipei cosmetic clinic shortly after undergoing a penis enlargement procedure. The surgeon was arrested for suspected medical malpractice, again bringing to the surface shortcomings in the regulation of cosmetic medicine. Media reports said the clinic owner and surgeon, surnamed Ting (丁), was previously convicted of negligent homicide for a postsurgical death and had been charged with coercion and aggravated assault after allegedly stopping a patient from calling for an ambulance. He had also been fined for failing inspections and had allegedly permitted people without medical licenses to assist
An American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) spokesperson on Saturday rebuked a Chinese official for mischaracterizing World War II-era agreements as proving that Taiwan was ceded to China. The US Department of State later affirmed that the AIT remarks reflect Washington’s long-standing position: Taiwan’s political status remains undetermined and should only be resolved peacefully. The US would continue supporting Taiwan against military, economic, legal and diplomatic pressure from China, and opposes any unilateral attempt to alter the “status quo,” particularly through coercion or force, the United Daily News cited the department as saying. The remarks followed Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs
RSS