‘UNITED’:Taiwan has increased military spending and improved wages and benefits for military personnel, Lai said, urging people to defend the nation togetherBy Wu Cheng-ting and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer請繼續往下閱讀...Even in peacetime, forgetting war is dangerous, but Taiwan will uphold the spirit of those who were on the front lines of the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis and not cede an inch of territory, President William Lai （賴清德） said in Kinmen County yesterday during an event marking the 68th anniversary of the 823 Artillery Bombardment.At the rain-soaked event, to commemorate the Aug. 23, 1958, Chinese attack on Kinmen that started the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, Lai expressed his respect and gratitude to the soldiers who, regardless of their backgrounds, united and fought to defend Taiwan proper and Kinmen, Penghu and Lienchiang counties.Over 44 days, more than 470,000 artillery shells were fired at Kinmen, killing 456 military personnel and 162 civilians, and wounding 1,972 military personnel and 638 civilians. The defense of the islands is regarded as a significant battle that helped safeguard the Republic of China government in Taiwan.The victory laid an important foundation for 68 years of peace across the Taiwan Strait and thwarted China’s ambitions to expand its aggression toward the First Island Chain and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region, Lai said.“China has never abandoned its ambitions for expansion over the past 68 years,” he said. “Today, in addition to its increasingly aggressive ‘gray zone’ incursions into waters around waters near Kinmen through its coast guard, China’s military has expanded its provocations from Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, to the First Island Chain and the Indo-Pacific region, threatening not only peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, but also creating unease among Indo-Pacific nations.”Peace is hard-won, but a peace agreement that sacrifices the nation’s sovereignty and entails submission to would not result in genuine peace, he said.The government’s defense budget for next year would exceed NT$1 trillion （US$31.4 billion） for the first time, reaching NT$1.12 trillion and remaining above 3 percent of GDP, the president said, adding that the spending demonstrates Taiwan’s commitment to bolstering its self-defense capabilities.In addition to enhancing military capabilities, the government has continued to improve compensation for military personnel, Lai said.Since last year, the government has increased the volunteer military, combat unit, air and control, signals intelligence and cyberwarfare allowances. In February, drone units were also made eligible for the combat-unit allowance.Starting last month, a third category of combat-unit allowance was introduced based on operational requirements and the nature of duties, providing an additional NT$4,000 per month. Conscripts serving in combat units are also eligible for the allowance.Professional and supervisory allowances for military personnel, civil servants and public school teachers were each increased by NT$2,000, while salaries are to rise by 4 percent across the board beginning in January next year.The increase next year would be the fifth pay raise for military, civil servants and public school teachers over the past decade, demonstrating the government’s support for those groups, Lai said.All of the government’s efforts are aimed at providing greater defense resources and better benefits to support every service member who helps defend the country, he said.“If Taiwan was able to prevail 68 years ago, despite difficult circumstances, by uniting civilians and the military and defeating a larger force, then today, 68 years later, people should be even more united in supporting the armed forces and national defense,” he said.新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
评论 (0)