The people we should remember are the soldiers of the Armed Forces, not communist spies, President William Lai (賴清德) wrote on Facebook yesterday, in an apparent reference to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) attending an event honoring people killed during the White Terror era, including Chinese spy Wu Shi (吳石).
Lai was paying tribute to general Huang Bai-tao (黃百韜), who died during the Huaihai Campaign (淮海戰役) at the age of 49.
“Today is the memorial day of General Huang Bai-tao’s sacrifice for the country. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of China’s Armed Forces, I would like to pay the highest respect to him and to all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country,” Lai wrote.
Photo: Screen grab from President Lai’s Facebook page
In the National Defense University and the Army Officer Academy, there is a building named “Baitao Hall” in honor of Huang, he said.
Huang spent his life in the military and was known for defeating enemies despite having fewer troops, successfully repelling the Chinese communist forces on several occasions, Lai said.
At that time, the KMT had already been infiltrated by communist spies, such as Wu and Guo Rugui (郭汝瑰), who leaked important operational information to the enemy, he said, adding that as a result, about 555,000 Nationalist Army troops’ lives were lost during the 66 days of the Huaihai Campaign.
During the intense offensive and defensive battles of the campaign, and as they were running out of ammunition and supplies, Huang displayed the true spirit of a soldier, choosing to defend his beliefs with his life, the president said.
“The loyalty, courage and sense of duty he exhibited serve is a profound reminder to Taiwan,” he said.
Looking back on this period of war urges us to reflect on the many patriotic heroes who gave their lives to resist communist authoritarianism, Lai said, adding that it also serves as a lesson to be vigilant about the infiltration and influence of authoritarian forces.
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