President Tsai visits troops in charge of monitoring Chinese drills
ROC Central News Agency
08/23/2022 07:33 PM
Taipei, Aug. 23 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Tuesday inspected three military units responsible for monitoring People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements around Taiwan to thank them for their service in the wake of unprecedented Chinese military drills launched earlier this month following a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The president inspected the Air Force's No. 6 Radar Squadron, the Navy's 3rd Hai Feng Shore Based Anti-ship Missile Squadron and the Air Force's Taipei Communication Squadron, three units located in northern New Taipei City, as the nation marked the 64th anniversary of the Aug. 23 Artillery Bombardment (more commonly known in English as the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis) of the outlying frontline county of Kinmen in 1958.
In her address to the troops, Tsai expressed the nation's gratitude to the units which she said provide "indispensable" armed forces defense in the face of a potential Chinese invasion as they are responsible for detecting and tracking PLA warships, warplanes and communications.
She thanked military personnel for their service and for remaining calm while carrying out their duties in such an unprecedented situation
As Tuesday marked the 64th anniversary of the Aug. 23 Artillery Bombardment, the president said their safeguarding of the nation showed the world that "no threat of any kind could shake the Taiwanese people's resolve to defend their nation."
On Aug. 23, 1958, nine years after the Republic of China (R.O.C.) government relocated from mainland China to Taiwan during the Chinese civil war, Chinese communist forces launched an attack on R.O.C.-held Kinmen Island, which lies less than 10 kilometers off the southeast coast of China.
Over the next 44 days, 475,000 artillery shells were fired at Kinmen in an attempt to take over the island, but the R.O.C. forces resisted the Chinese bombardment, according to Taiwan's historical records.
According to government data, 439 military personnel were killed and 1,911 injured in the bombardment. In addition, 80 civilians lost their lives and 221 were injured, the data showed.
The Republic of China is the official name of Taiwan.
Tsai's visit to the three military units came weeks after Beijing launched an unprecedented set of live-fire military drills in six maritime zones encircling Taiwan from Aug. 4. to Aug. 7., including firing multiple ballistic missiles into waters near Taiwan, as a retaliatory measure after Pelosi concluded her 19-hour visit to Taiwan on Aug. 3.
In addition to the military maneuvers, Beijing has also suspended imports of some Taiwanese food and agricultural products in retaliation for Pelosi's visit, the first by a sitting U.S. House speaker since 1997.
Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified one day, strongly objects to other countries treating Taiwan as a nation, including sending high ranking officials to visit.
(By Joseph Yeh)
Enditem/AW
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