Yesterday’s Double Ten National Day celebration in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei was heavy on diversity, heroes and military personnel compared with last year’s event.
A parade of “heroes of wind and rain” followed President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) national day address, spotlighting those involved in disaster relief operations.
While not a full-scale military parade, the march featured a substantial number of military personnel and equipment compared with the brief military fly-over that followed former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) speech last year.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
The cloudy skies over downtown Taipei were filled with the thunder of a steady line of helicopters from the military and Ministry of the Interior fleets, which were immediately followed by a drive-by by rows of camouflaged military vehicles carrying soldiers from disaster relief units, military logistics vehicles and other equipment.
Police motorcycles and fire trucks brought up the rear as audience members waved banners thanking service members.
Medal-winning athletes from the Rio de Janiero Olympic Games — weightlifters Hsu Shu-ching (許淑淨) and Kuo Hsing-chun (郭婞淳) and archers Lei Chien-ying (雷千瑩) and Lin Shih-chia (林詩嘉) — drew prolonged applause as they rode by in jeeps.
Photo: CNA
Baseball legend Chen Chin-feng (陳金鋒) led the singing of the national anthem along with members of Dongyuan Elementary School’s internationally recognized Little League baseball team.
The Ministry of National Defense’s Honor Guard and Joint Military Marching Band maintained their tradition of annual performances.
Another nod to tradition was the triple ceremonial bow to a portrait of Republic of China (ROC) founding father Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) that was superimposed over the national flag.
Photo: Ritchie B Tongo, EPA
There was also the traditional address by an overseas Chinese representative, even as the nation’s ethnic diversity — as opposed to ethnic Han nationalism — received greater emphasis.
The opening act featured two bands performing songs in several languages: Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), Hakka, Puyuma and Mandarin Chinese.
The emphasis on diversity was also apparent in the coloring of the front stage, which was painted in a rainbow pattern rather than the traditional red, white and blue colors of the national flag.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
There were also several small changes, such as the hostesses who showed the dignitaries to their seats wearing different colored skirts instead of the traditional red qipao (旗袍) and the “national day hats” (國慶帽) worn by audience members, when seen from above, formed a mosaic depicting a Formosan black bear instead of the traditional ROC imagery.
A drive-past by Taoyuan borough wardens on zero-emission scooters, performances by the cheerleadering squads from baseball teams and students from several high schools and colleges rounded out the almost three-hour show.
Photo: CNA
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
‘RELATIVELY STRONG LANGUAGE’: An expert said the state department has not softened its language on China and was ‘probably a little more Taiwan supportive’ China’s latest drills near Taiwan on Monday were “brazen and irresponsible threats,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on Tuesday, while reiterating Washington’s decades-long support of Taipei. “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to media queries. Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan will continue as it has for 45 years and the US “will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, informational and diplomatic pressure campaign,” the e-mail said. “Alongside our international partners, we firmly
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
COUNTERING THE PLA: While the US should reinforce its relations with partners and allies, Taiwan must invest in strengthening its defenses as well, Phillip Davidson said If influence in the Indo-Pacific region is one of the US’ core interests, then Taiwan serves as a cornerstone of US economic and security influence in the region, former US Indo-Pacific Command commander admiral Phillip Davidson said on Thursday. “China’s ... strategy is to supplant the US leadership role in the international order ... and they’ve long said ... that they intend to do that by 2050,” Davidson told the National Review Institute’s Ideas Summit in Washington. Davidson said he had previously told US Senate hearings on China’s military activities and possible threats in the Indo-Pacific region that a Chinese invasion of
RSS