Lai urges cadets not to give in to defeatism

Lai urges cadets not to give in to defeatism

2024-06-17

Amid continued PLA provocations, President Lai Ching-te is urging cadets not to give in to defeatism. Speaking at the R.O.C. Military Academy’s centennial celebration, the president said that today’s cadets must acknowledge the challenges of “the new era,” in particular the rise of China. He referenced a phrase used by former President Ma Ying-jeou in 2020, calling it defeatist and absolutely unacceptable.

Last Friday afternoon, a Chinese electronic reconnaissance ship appeared roughly 36 nautical miles southeast of Wushibi, Yilan. Taiwan’s Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force immediately initiated surveillance.

Just one day later, the CCP’s Chengdu and Nanyang vessels were sighted in the same area, and were monitored closely by Taiwan’s Navy. Amid continued harassment from China, President Lai Ching-te had forceful words in his speech at the R.O.C. Military Academy’s centennial celebration on Sunday. He said that Taiwan cannot accept the “first battle is the last battle” theory, calling it defeatist. He was referring to a 2020 interview with former President Ma Ying-jeou, in which Ma said China intends to take over Taiwan in one swift operation. Lai’s remarks were decried by Ma’s office.

Wellington Koo
Defense minister
What Lai meant is that we cannot accept defeatism. He said that we can’t accept the theory of “the first battle is the last battle,” that our goal is to continue to strengthen our defense capabilities and to demonstrate our resolve. We must create a strategy based on actions the enemy might take. We must develop a defense that weakens the enemy’s ability to attack Taiwan.

Defense chief Wellington Koo pushed back against Ma’s office, saying Lai meant to emphasize the need for asymmetrical warfare and a layered deterrence strategy to thwart the enemy. But according to Ma’s office, the DPP’s Tsai administration had acknowledged the “first battle is the last battle” notion in a defense report, citing it as the PLA’s strategic goal.

Wellington Koo
Defense minister
The CCP wants the first battle to be the last battle. It’s wishful thinking. This goal contrasts sharply with our own goal, which is that we will not yield an inch of territory.

Hsu Chiao-hsin
KMT lawmaker
He says the so-called defeatism of the “first battle is the last battle” theory is unacceptable. Who are these people embracing defeatism? Can you name some for me? Who holds such views? I want to join President Lai in scolding them.

Wellington Koo
Defense minister
I can’t speak for President Lai.

Responding to the opposition’s challenge, Koo remained composed, allowing Lai’s words to speak for themselves.

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回擊馬辦! 顧立雄:接受首戰即終戰就是接受投降主義

2024-06-17

總統賴清德(16號)出席黃埔百年校慶致詞時，強調無法接受"首戰即終戰"這種投降主義的說法，遭馬辦曲解是在引戰，國防部長顧立雄解釋，賴總統的說法就是不接受投降主義，要不斷強化自我防衛的決心。只是中國艦隊持續侵擾台灣，近期中共成都及南陽艦都被發現出現在宜蘭外海，台日都派軍艦監控。

14號下午，宜蘭烏石鼻東南方約36浬海面，出現一艘疑似是中國電子偵察艦，我國海軍、日本海上自衛隊船艦立刻在附近跟監。

沒想到相隔一天，又在相同地方目擊中共成都艦及南陽艦現身，我國海軍一樣進行周邊監控。中國對台持續侵擾，總統賴清德周日在陸軍官校黃埔百年校慶，致詞強調，無法接受"首戰即終戰"的投降主義，卻遭馬英九辦公室指控，這發言是在"引戰"。

[[國防部長顧立雄]]
“他的意思就是不能夠接受投降主義，所以他的意思，言下之意就是說，我們不能接受首戰即終戰的概念，我們的目標就是要不斷強化自我防衛能力，然後要不斷展現我們這樣的決心，我們在戰略上也要針對敵人可能的行動，組織發展我們的防衛構想，以逐次削弱敵人攻台的能力”

顧立雄強力回擊馬辦說法，更強調我國要運用不對稱作戰、建構重層嚇阻，直到敵方登陸企圖失敗。只是馬辦緊咬"首戰即終戰"說法，曾出現在前總統蔡英文任內的國防政策研究報告，說這是解放軍的戰略目標。

[[國防部長顧立雄]]
“首戰即終戰這應該是中共主觀的期待，一廂情願的想法，這樣的想法跟我們寸土必守的決心，我想不一樣”

[[立委(國) 徐巧芯]]
“首戰即終戰這樣的投降主義，大家不能接受，投降主義派，可不可以幫我們點名一下，有這樣想法的人到底是誰，我要陪賴總統一起罵他”

[[國防部長顧立雄]]
“我沒有辦法幫賴總統回答”

面對國家內部出現質疑聲，顧立雄穩健回擊，不讓在野黨做文章。

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As Taiwanese rally to support a compatriot in need, the defense ministry is taking the lead to support a military family.

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