President Ma Ying-jeou said June 16 that the ROC armed forces play an invaluable role in safeguarding Taiwan and vowed to further strengthen the nation’s defensive capabilities while promoting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
“Recent vagaries in international politics have led to escalating security concerns around the globe, including sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea,” Ma said. “Faced with these challenges, we must maintain strong armed forces to defend democracy, prevent armed conflict and promote peaceful cross-strait development.”
The president made the remarks at a ceremony commemorating the 90th anniversary of the ROC Military Academy, also known as Whampoa, and the latest batch of graduates from the country’s five military colleges.
Founded in 1924 on the other side of the strait, Whampoa played a key role in uniting the ROC and training personnel who would later serve with honor and distinction in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). The academy was relocated to southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City in 1949.
Ma urged the graduates to continue enriching their professional skills, demonstrate military loyalty, honor their duties to the nation, keep tabs on international relations and pass on the Whampoa legacy.
The president also reiterated the government’s commitment to building a volunteer military by 2016, adding that several complementary measures are already in place to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative. These include better benefits and more opportunities for advanced training.
Such efforts are paying dividends, Ma said, with voluntary enlistment reaching more than 15,000 as of the end of May, or nearly 43 percent over the annual target. The number of service extensions also increased 8 percentage points to 50.3 percent.
The president said the government will continue working with the U.S. to maintain Taiwan’s robust defense so as to keep exchanges between Taipei and Beijing proceeding stably and smoothly. (SFC-JSM)
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