President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday marked the 63rd anniversary of the 823 Artillery Bombardment of Kinmen County with a pared down address to a small group of military personnel in Taipei, in which she hailed the event as a reminder of the importance of unity and conviction.
“One party or one faction alone cannot resist foreign aggression,” she told representatives from the Armament Bureau’s Material Production Center and the Air Force Air Defense and Artillery Command. “Only with united effort and firm conviction can we protect our country.”
Due to COVID-19 pandemic considerations, Tsai did not travel to Kinmen this year, instead delivering her address to the command during an inspection tour.
The bombardment, also known as the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, began on Aug. 23, 1958, when the Chinese Communist Party began shelling Kinmen in an attempt to conclusively defeat the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) after its retreat to Taiwan nine years earlier.
An estimated 475,000 artillery shells were fired at Kinmen over 44 days, but communist troops failed to capture the islands, marking a major victory for the Republic of China and solidifying its administration over Taiwan.
During the bombardment, the “people of Taiwan — regardless of ethnicity or when they arrived — fought with one heart to defend the front line and Taiwan, showing the world the determination of Taiwanese to defend themselves,” she said.
“The experience of 823 tells us that when overwhelmed by the enemy, we must stand united to protect our country,” she added.
“The stronger our determination to protect our country, the less likely it is that foreign forces will act recklessly,” she said, calling for advanced preparation to stay ahead of the enemy.
To show its determination, the nation has over the past few years continued to reform its defense, she said.
“We might not be able to control where the enemy aims its missiles, but we do have the ability to stop them from assailing our beloved homeland,” she said while thanking the military for protecting the nation around the clock.
Mentioning the Han Kuang exercises, the president urged service members to show the world the determination of the nation’s armed forces to defend their home and democratic way of life.
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