Critics have lashed out at President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) over comments he made about bolstering the nation’s combat abilities, saying that he has slashed military budgets, which have fallen below his election promise of at least 3 percent of GDP.
Ma on Wednesday touted improved defense capabilities, urging Taiwanese to be vigilant against the potential breakout of hostilities because China has not renounced its use of force against the nation.
However, one military expert said Ma is playing charades in an attempt to deceive the public once again.
Since the beginning of his presidency, the military budget has seen a downward trend, falling below 2.5 percent of GDP, said the expert, who declined to be named.
Data and reports from Office of the President and the National Development Council show that in 2009 — the first full year of Ma’s administration — the military budget was 3 percent of GDP, but dropped to 2.98 percent in 2010, the defense expert said.
It was slashed to 2.69 percent of GDP in 2011, then steadied at 2.7 percent in 2012 and 2013, before dropping to 2.48 percent last year, the expert said.
The expert said Ma had not fulfilled his election promise to hold the military budget at 3 percent of GDP.
There is a serious credibility gap there, because Ma has continued talking publicly, including in international dealings, about the military threat posed by China, the expert added.
The Ministry of National Defense said in a press release that if the Executive Yuan agrees to major arms procurements in the future, the government can allocate secondary reserve funds or utilize special program funds to help achieve military plans and policies.
The statement said that the military budget is not at 3 percent of GDP, adding however that the nation is ready and able to defend itself amid troop readjustment programs.
“The military will proactively improve the defense and combat capabilities of the nation’s troops and will submit requests for sufficient funding,” the statement said. “The military seeks the support of all Taiwanese, so together we can ensure the nation’s security.”
Ma was inspecting computer-assisted war games on Wednesday at the ministry command center in Taipei, where the simulated military exercises, which began on Monday, are to conclude today.
Honor guards are to stop performing changing of the guard ceremonies around a statue of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) to avoid “worshiping authoritarianism,” the Ministry of Culture said yesterday. The fate of the bronze statue has long been the subject of fierce and polarizing debate in Taiwan, which has transformed from an autocracy under Chiang into one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. The changing of the guard each hour at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei is a major tourist attraction, but starting from 9am on Monday, the ceremony is to be moved outdoors to Democracy Boulevard, outside the eponymous blue-and-white memorial
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supports peaceful unification with China, and President William Lai (賴清德) is “a bit naive” for being a “practical worker for Taiwanese independence,” former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said in an interview published yesterday. Asked about whether the KMT is on the same page as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on the issue of Taiwanese independence or unification with China, Ma told the Malaysian Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily that they are not. While the KMT supports peaceful unification and is against unification by force, the DPP opposes unification as such and
The government would cancel kendo practitioner Su Yu-cheng’s (蘇郁程) nationality if he is confirmed to have represented China in the World Kendo Championships in Milan, Italy, last week, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday. “We have consulted the Sports Administration and were told that athletes participating in the championships must have the nationality of the country that they represent. They must also present their passports as proof,” council spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a weekly news conference. “If Su indeed represented China in the championships, we suspect that he has obtained Chinese nationality.” The Act Governing Relations Between the People of the
FATAL ILLNESS: Untreated symptoms can rapidly worsen to complications such as high fever, seizures and loss of consciousness, and can be life-threatening, a doctor said Hospitals have been reporting dozens of people with heat-related illnesses every day over the past week, given continuous high daytime temperatures, so recognizing the early signs of heatstroke is crucial in preventing serious complications, a Taipei City Hospital emergency physician said. The Central Weather Administration yesterday issued a heat alert for 19 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures in New Taipei City, Miaoli County and Pingtung County likely to exceed 38°C, and temperatures in 12 cities and counties likely to exceed 36°C for three days straight. More than a dozen people were taken to hospitals for heat-related illnesses every day from