Politicians from the pan-green camp yesterday called on the government to consider revoking retired air force general Hsia Ying-chou’s (夏瀛洲) pension after he said China has the right to send warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
In an interview with Chinese state-run Global Times published on Friday, Hsia said: “Beijing has every right to send warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, as it is part of Chinese territory.”
China has sent increasing numbers of military aircraft into the southwest of Taiwan’s ADIZ over the past year, peaking at nearly 150 over four days early last month.
Photo: CNA
The Ministry of National Defense reported an intrusion by 16 Chinese fighter jets on Saturday and four on Sunday.
Hsia’s comments caused an uproar, with many Internet users denouncing his professed allegiance to China and his implication that Taiwan is a Chinese province, and called for the termination of his pension, which is paid out of taxpayers’ money.
New Power Party international affairs department director Jerry Liu (劉仕傑), a former diplomat, said in a message that “Hsia should return all his pension to the government and should instead draw his pension from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army [PLA].”
“It is shameful... I wonder how many more of these generals and military officials who have been bought and are under the influence of China are still in our armed forces? They have hidden their allegiance during their military service, but have shown their true allegiance in retirement,” Liu said.
The ministry declined to comment on Hsia’s remarks on Sunday, saying only that it would continue to focus on safeguarding national security.
It said in a statement that “China has not given up the option of military aggression against Taiwan. Our armed forces are professional and actively training with new weapons systems, with constant vigilance day and night to protect our nation’s airspace, and our land and maritime territories.”
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus director Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said that the ministry and the Veterans Affairs Council should consider revoking the pensions of Hsia and other military retirees who toe Beijing’s line.
DPP Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) said prosecutors should investigate whether Hsia’s remarks contravene the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法), which aims to curb Chinese influence in Taiwan’s politics.
Tsai said the ministry’s response to Hsia’s comments was “too weak.”
Media commentator Hu Wen-hui (胡文輝) called Hsia “a traitor colluding with an enemy state.”
“Hsia is encouraging people to surrender to China... He is a collaborator working with China’s propaganda machine to conduct cognitive warfare to subvert Taiwan from within,” Hu said.
Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) said Hsia’s comments were “unwise and inappropriate,” and should be condemned by Taiwanese.
However, he declined to comment on whether Hsia’s pension should be revoked, saying only that the government would make a decision based on laws and regulations.
It was not the first time Hsia made pro-China remarks.
During a visit to China in 2011 at a gathering of retired generals from Taiwan and China, he said the Taiwanese and Chinese armed forces are “all China’s military.”
He was also among a group of retired generals, including Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Sz-huai (吳斯懷), who visited China in November 2016 to attend an event commemorating Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
Video footage showed the generals rising when the Chinese national anthem started to play, angering many in Taiwan.
Hsia, 82, a former air force pilot, has served as president of National Defense University and president of the ROC Air Force Academy before retiring from the military in 2003 after four decades of service.
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