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No easing combat preparedness: president

ROC Central News Agency

2009/05/15 22:59:09

By Sofia Wu

Taipei, May 15 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said Friday that Taiwan cannot afford to relax efforts to strengthen its arsenal or maintain combat preparedness because China has maintained the strength of its defense posture against Taiwan despite the recent improvement in bilateral ties.

Ma made the remarks during a tour of the Zuoying naval base in southern Taiwan where he boarded the country's two aging submarines -- the 60-plus-year-old U.S.-built Guppy-class "Sea Leopard" and the 20-plus-year-old Dutch-built Zwaardvis-class "Sea Tiger." Since assuming office last May, Ma said, he has spared no effort to reduce tension in the Taiwan Strait through negotiations and a pragmatic policy approach.

China, however, has not relaxed its military deployment against Taiwan despite the detente in cross-strait ties, Ma said.

"Against this backdrop, we cannot slow down our combat preparedness and renovation of military hardware," he said.

The president also mentioned the importance of streamlining miltiary discipline and cracking down on corruption in the military ranks in the wake of a recent spate of corruption charges against military officers on active duty.

Noting that public trust is the government's biggest asset, Ma said he would not tolerate corruption and the abuse of power among civil servants and military servicemen.