President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday awarded Chief of General Staff Admiral Lee Hsi-ming (李喜明), who plans to retire after nearly 50 years of service, the Order of Resplendent Banner with Special Grand Cordon at the Presidential Office in Taipei.
Tsai thanked Lee on behalf of all Taiwanese for dedicating himself to safeguarding the nation since joining the military in 1970.
Tsai said she believes that Taiwanese agree that a strong national defense is the only way to guarantee national sovereignty and the values of democracy and freedom.
As Beijing continues to expand its military capabilities, Taiwan must develop its ability to wage asymmetric warfare to deter the threat posed by China’s military, she said.
In doing so, the nation would not only ensure safety in the Taiwan Strait, but also contribute peace in the region, she added.
In April 2017, Lee became chief of general staff and worked with others to carry out an overall defense concept and improve military exercises and the preparedness of joint operations, she said.
Lee was given the military order in recognition of his efforts to enhance the military’s overall capabilities, Tsai added.
In a few days, Lee is to retire, she said, adding that she would remember the contributions made to the nation and society by each senior military officer who has retired.
Tsai also thanked Lee’s wife, saying that because of her support, Lee has been able to protect the nation and Taiwanese without reservation.
Calling it a mission that Lee “must fulfill,” Tsai said that he should exchange leading military personnel to various locations with taking care of his family and traveling with them.
Tsai concluded her speech by wishing the distinguished officer success in his retirement.
Yesterday, the Ministry of National Defense announced that six officers, including Major General Lu Kun-hsiu (呂坤修), would be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, and 13 officers, including Colonel Wang Kuo-liang (王國樑), would be promoted to the rank of major general.
The appointments — routine promotions of general officers approved by the president — are to take effect on Monday, the ministry said.
With only 19 promotions, this is the smallest batch in the past few years, the ministry said, adding that a promotion ceremony would be held at 9am today at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club in Taipei.
Minister of National Defense Yen De-fa (嚴德發) is to preside over the promotion ceremony, which is to be attended by the president, high-ranking military officers and family members of the promoted officers, the ministry added.
Additional reporting by Aaron Tu
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.