Even in peacetime, forgetting war is dangerous, but Taiwan will uphold the spirit of those who were on the front lines of the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis and not cede an inch of territory, President William Lai (賴清德) said in Kinmen County yesterday during an event marking the 68th anniversary of the 823 Artillery Bombardment.
At the rain-soaked event, to commemorate the Aug. 23, 1958, Chinese attack on Kinmen that started the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, Lai expressed his respect and gratitude to the soldiers who, regardless of their backgrounds, united and fought to defend Taiwan proper and Kinmen, Penghu and Lienchiang counties.
Over 44 days, more than 470,000 artillery shells were fired at Kinmen, killing 456 military personnel and 162 civilians, and wounding 1,972 military personnel and 638 civilians. The defense of the islands is regarded as a significant battle that helped safeguard the Republic of China government in Taiwan.
Photo: Chiang Ying-ying, AP
The victory laid an important foundation for 68 years of peace across the Taiwan Strait and thwarted China’s ambitions to expand its aggression toward the First Island Chain and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region, Lai said.
“China has never abandoned its ambitions for expansion over the past 68 years,” he said. “Today, in addition to its increasingly aggressive ‘gray zone’ incursions into waters around waters near Kinmen through its coast guard, China’s military has expanded its provocations from Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, to the First Island Chain and the Indo-Pacific region, threatening not only peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, but also creating unease among Indo-Pacific nations.”
Peace is hard-won, but a peace agreement that sacrifices the nation’s sovereignty and entails submission to would not result in genuine peace, he said.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA
The government’s defense budget for next year would exceed NT$1 trillion (US$31.4 billion) for the first time, reaching NT$1.12 trillion and remaining above 3 percent of GDP, the president said, adding that the spending demonstrates Taiwan’s commitment to bolstering its self-defense capabilities.
In addition to enhancing military capabilities, the government has continued to improve compensation for military personnel, Lai said.
Since last year, the government has increased the volunteer military, combat unit, air and control, signals intelligence and cyberwarfare allowances. In February, drone units were also made eligible for the combat-unit allowance.
Starting last month, a third category of combat-unit allowance was introduced based on operational requirements and the nature of duties, providing an additional NT$4,000 per month. Conscripts serving in combat units are also eligible for the allowance.
Professional and supervisory allowances for military personnel, civil servants and public school teachers were each increased by NT$2,000, while salaries are to rise by 4 percent across the board beginning in January next year.
The increase next year would be the fifth pay raise for military, civil servants and public school teachers over the past decade, demonstrating the government’s support for those groups, Lai said.
All of the government’s efforts are aimed at providing greater defense resources and better benefits to support every service member who helps defend the country, he said.
“If Taiwan was able to prevail 68 years ago, despite difficult circumstances, by uniting civilians and the military and defeating a larger force, then today, 68 years later, people should be even more united in supporting the armed forces and national defense,” he said.
Japan will conduct tests of hypersonic missiles and other projectiles on Australian soil, the two countries’ defense ministers said yesterday as they deepened military cooperation, including with a codeveloped laser system. Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles said alongside his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, in Canberra that the deal would see a “better and enhanced arrangement between Australia and Japan for Japan’s use of our missile ranges over the course of the next decade.” “We have spoken previously about Australia being able to provide strategic depth to Japan across a range of areas, but one of them is the use
A German veteran journalist and author said the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) has confirmed his suspicion that he was followed by a Chinese spy on Alishan (阿里山) last year. Jurgen Kremb, who has long researched Chinese intelligence agencies, Asian geopolitics and cross-strait relations, made the comment during an interview with Taiwan Plus on Sunday. A video of the interview was subsequently shared by the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei on its Facebook page. Kremb said that last year, while writing a report on Chinese espionage activities targeting Taiwan, he traveled to Alishan with friends. A young Asian woman approached them and
2027 BUDGET: Given the nation’s strong economic growth, the government has proposed the universal cash handout to allow everyone to share in the ‘AI dividend’ The government would allocate NT$235.7 billion (US$7.4 billion) in next year’s budget to fund a NT$10,000 cash payment for every citizen next year as the economy continues to grow, President William Lai (賴清德) announced yesterday. Lai made the announcement after being briefed on the Executive Yuan’s proposed central government budget for next year for the second time. The government would still maintain a balanced budget with no net increase in debt after incorporating the universal cash handout into the general budget, he said. The latest statistics from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics show Taiwan’s economy performing more strongly than previously
Ugandan immigration authorities have returned the passports of four Taiwanese after withholding the travel documents at Entebbe International Airport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said yesterday. After hearing about the incident, the ministry immediately instructed its representative office in Somaliland, which is responsible for affairs involving Uganda, to closely monitor the situation and work with the Uganda Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce to communicate with the authorities there, Hsiao said. The passports were returned to their holders on Wednesday local time, he said. The incident followed an earlier incident in which Ugandan immigration officials withheld the passports of two Taiwanese at
RSS