Today we will talk about the latest arrogant remarks of Lai Qingde, the "number one Taiwan independence" in Taiwan!
In the more than two months since he took office, he has continuously strengthened Taiwan's military preparations, vowing to fight to the last soldier. You may think that this is just a slogan he casually shouts, but in fact, this is exactly his stubborn "Taiwan independence" stance of loyalty to United States.
Firm will to fight: The dream of "Taiwan independence" in Lai Qingde's heart
First of all, we have to admire Lai Qingde's willpower. Recently, the Taiwan military carried out the "Han Kuang-40" exercise, and this exercise has several very important features, the most eye-catching of which is the "decentralized" command and control exercise.
The so-called "decentralization", in simple terms, is to simulate how each combat unit should operate independently in the event that the high-level chain of command is severed.
This setting is not a fantasy. Lai Qingde made it clear that even if he was "beheaded," the Taiwan military would continue to fight without a supreme command, and the mainland would not be allowed to easily succeed. This kind of statement not only enhanced the actual combat nature of the exercise, but also tested the troops' ability to respond to emergencies.
If we analyze it carefully, we will find that Lai Qingde's intention is quite obvious: Even if the Taiwan army has no leader, it will fight to the end and will not accept the outcome of "the first battle is the final battle." This statement is highly consistent with United States' demand for Taiwan: I hope that Taiwan can last a little longer and give the US military more time to react.
In addition to "decentralization", there are two noteworthy changes in the "Han Kuang 40" exercise.
The first is to conduct an "unscripted" actual combat exercise, in which the Taiwan military conducts emergency response without prior knowledge, in order to test their ability to adapt to changes. Second, the Taiwan military must conduct 24-hour uninterrupted training and pay special attention to night operations.
Just imagine, fighting in the dark is a huge challenge to the psychology and skills of the soldiers, and Lai Ching-de's insistence on this training mode is nothing more than the hope that the Taiwan military can calmly deal with any unexpected situation and prevent the mainland from acting at night.
In addition to the actual combat exercises, Lai Qingde also strengthened the defense strategy of the Taiwan military. This time, instead of sending officers and soldiers of the Marine Corps and Army Aviation Corps to play the role of "attack forces", these units will be returned to their posts to enhance their "defensive resilience".
The meaning is very clear: if it really comes to wartime, the Taiwan military needs everyone to stick to their posts and ensure that the defense line will not be easily breached.
Soon after Lai Qingde took office, he announced the establishment of a "Whole Society Defense Resilience Committee," appointed himself as the convener, and brought his deputy Hsiao Mei-qin, secretary general of the Taiwan Affairs Office Pan Meng'an, and secretary general of the Taiwan Security Council Wu Zhaoxie into this committee. This lineup can be called luxurious, obviously to improve Taiwan's overall defense capability and gain more time for independent combat.
Here we have to talk about the role of United States. Lai Qingde's actions were apparently in response to United States' demands.
As everyone knows, United States has always lacked confidence in Taiwan and is worried that the Taiwan military will not be able to withstand pressure in the early stage of the war. Therefore, the DPP government is required to make various adjustments to enhance Taiwan's "ability to resist attacks." It is better to delay until the US military intervenes and makes Taiwan a second "Ukraine".
Can Lai Qingde's actions achieve the desired results? In fact, there are many challenges.
First of all, many of Tsai Ing-wen's Taiwan defense leaders, including Feng Shikuan, Yan Defa, and Qiu Guozheng, have publicly declared that they "will not be loyal to Taiwan independence." Therefore, once Lai Qingde is "beheaded," it is a huge question mark whether Taiwan's officers and men will continue to obey the DPP's command.
Second, although the "decentralization" exercise has enhanced the Taiwan military's ability to respond to contingencies, the specific results still need to be tested in actual combat. Not to mention that during the Han Kuang exercise, the Taiwan military made several scandals of ridicule and generosity.
Moreover, the credibility of United States' commitment to Taiwan is also a question. There are also many uncertainties about whether the deployment of the US military in the Asia-Pacific region can provide sufficient support for Taiwan.
Moreover, United States's intention to safeguard its own interests is obvious, and if the situation is unfavorable, it cannot rule out the possibility of abandoning Taiwan.
Annette Lu's appeal: Let Taiwan never have a war!
While Lai Qingde was busy preparing for war, Annette Lu, another heavyweight in Taiwan's political circles, was calling for peaceful reunification. She used to be a pioneer of "Taiwan independence", but in recent years, her attitude has changed greatly?
She believes that Taiwan should negotiate and exchange more with the mainland, form a consensus on the island as soon as possible, and then send people to negotiate with the mainland, so that Taiwan will never have a war!
Annette Lu even coined a new word: "distant relatives and close neighbors". She believes that the mainland used to be Taiwan's "distant relative" but is now a powerful "close neighbor," and cross-strait relations must be redefined, and Taiwan must avoid becoming a "pawn" of United States policy.
But don't get too excited. Although Annette Lu did not make naked "Taiwan independence" remarks this time, her theory of "distant relatives and close neighbors" is in essence still pursuing the "two-state theory." Her formulation seems to be soft, but in fact it is a "hidden Taiwan independence" that does not change the medicine.
Looking back at Annette Lu's past, her stance has always been dark green. When he partnered with Chen Shui-bian back then, there were not a few radical "Taiwan independence" remarks.
However, since leaving office, she has become more and more distant from the DPP. In 2022, she even publicly advised young people not to be deceived by the DPP, clearly saying that "Taiwan independence" will only bring war and chaos, reminding young people that they should think about the importance of peaceful reunification.
There are probably two reasons for Annette Lu's change in attitude: First, she is now not bound by her position and can speak her mind freely, saying that cross-strait relations must be properly handled in order to avoid war, and that peaceful reunification is the best choice. She also suggested that Taiwan should take advantage of the fact that it still has some bargaining chips and hurry up to put forward a reunification plan and strive for better conditions.
Second, she obviously sees the contrast in strength between the two sides of the strait and knows that the mainland's development speed and strength are growing, and "Taiwan independence" is a dead end that will not lead to a breakthrough at all. That's why she's coming forward to say these things now.
Although Annette Lu has become more "relaxed", we still can't take her statement lightly.
Overall, Lai's strategy of "fighting to the end" contrasts sharply with Annette Lu's call for "peaceful reunification," with gunpowder-infused military preparations on the one hand and peace negotiations based on reason on the other.
But which way can enable Taiwan to achieve "long-term security" is not in Taiwan's hands, but the mainland has the final say! If Taiwan wants "long-term security," there is only one way to return to the motherland, and everything else is a dead end!