On Thursday last week Taiwan suffered a tragedy: Eight military officers, including Chief of the General Staff General Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴), were killed in a helicopter crash.
It was a human tragedy and a military setback, of course, but it was also a significant blow to Taiwan’s diplomacy, as Shen played a central role in the nation’s all-important relationship with Washington.
The catastrophe has no silver lining. I can only hope that the sacrifices of those who died and of the five injured survivors can inspire Taiwanese to reflect for a moment on how important the armed forces are in preserving everything they hold dear.
The accident reminds us that military service is never without risk. Even a general whose job mostly involves commuting to an office in downtown Taipei must be ready to climb into a helicopter in bad weather to review troops at a distant base.
When a young person chooses a military career, he or she is also choosing that risk, not out of a desire for personal gain, but out of an understanding that it is the cost of serving.
The accident also reminds us that preparing for war is uncomfortable and challenging, physically and psychologically. It requires practicing for war, and learning to use the tools and weapons of war.
Those tools and weapons are dangerous; soldiers must feel their power if they are to be ready to fight. Accidents are inevitable when the mission is driven by the necessity to succeed rather than an imperative to make sure nothing goes wrong.
Meanwhile, let us not forget the psychological toll of spending every day preparing for an event most of us dare not even imagine.
The tragedy also reminds us that the military’s mission goes beyond preparing for war. Military cooperation is a critical component of international partnerships and Taiwan’s military personnel play a central role in maintaining substantive relationships with other states, especially the US.
Shen made enormous contributions in this regard, even as he stayed out of the limelight.
He advanced Taiwan’s security as a military commander and as a key diplomatic player, asking nothing for himself.
Professional military service is not for everyone. It is a way of life that requires unusual attributes and demands extraordinary sacrifices, but to say that it is not for everyone is not to say it is not for anyone.
There are men and women who thrive in the military, and Taiwanese should recognize and honor their choice to serve.
Military service is unique. It combines physical and mental challenges. It offers opportunities to learn, and practice teamwork and leadership. It requires discipline and initiative, and while it also provides opportunities for recognition and reward, it is always in service to something greater than oneself.
Taiwanese should not follow the example of the US, where an uncritical, superficial adulation of the military has replaced genuine understanding and sincere respect for military service. Truly supporting the troops means respecting a young person’s determination to serve, even when we find it hard to understand or we fear for their safety.
My wishes for Taiwanese in the wake of this tragedy are these: First, I hope you will recognize those killed and injured as the heroes they truly were. They risked — and eight of them gave — their lives for you.
Second, I hope those among you who see yourself in their image will consider following in their footsteps. I hope you will be supported in that choice by your families, friends, teachers and neighbors — the very people you are willing to serve.
Shelley Rigger is the Brown professor of East Asian politics at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina.
The 75th anniversary summit of NATO was held in Washington from Tuesday to Thursday last week. Its main focus was the reinvigoration and revitalization of NATO, along with its expansion. The shadow of domestic electoral politics could not be avoided. The focus was on whether US President Biden would deliver his speech at the NATO summit cogently. Biden’s fitness to run in the next US presidential election in November was under assessment. NATO is acquiring more coherence and teeth. These were perhaps more evident than Biden’s future. The link to the Biden candidacy is critical for NATO. If Biden loses
Shortly after Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) stepped down as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2012, his successor, Xi Jinping (習近平), articulated the “Chinese Dream,” which aims to rejuvenate the nation and restore its historical glory. While defense analysts and media often focus on China’s potential conflict with Taiwan, achieving “rejuvenation” would require Beijing to engage in at least six different conflicts with at least eight countries. These include territories ranging from the South China Sea and East China Sea to Inner Asia, the Himalayas and lands lost to Russia. Conflicts would involve Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia,
The Sino-Indian border dispute remains one of the most complex and enduring border issues in the world. Unlike China’s borders with Russia and Vietnam, which have seen conflicts, but eventually led to settled agreements, the border with India, particularly the region of Arunachal Pradesh, remains a point of contention. This op-ed explores the historical and geopolitical nuances that contribute to this unresolved border dispute. The crux of the Sino-Indian border dispute lies in the differing interpretations of historical boundaries. The McMahon Line, established by the 1914 Simla Convention, was accepted by British India and Tibet, but never recognized by China, which
In a recent interview with the Malaysian Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) called President William Lai (賴清德) “naive.” As always with Ma, one must first deconstruct what he is saying to fully understand the parallel universe he insists on defending. Who is being “naive,” Lai or Ma? The quickest way is to confront Ma with a series of pointed questions that force him to take clear stands on the complex issues involved and prevent him from his usual ramblings. Regarding China and Taiwan, the media should first begin with questions like these: “Did the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)