Lai warns cadets in Taipei to resist Chinese espionage | Ukraine news - #Mezha

At a historic military college outside Taipei, Lai Ching-te warned cadets growing Chinese infiltration, urging vigilance and unwavering loyalty to Taiwan’s democratic institutions.

On June 30 in Taipei, President Lai Ching-te addressed military cadets with a warning not to fall prey to espionage by China and to defend freedom and democracy, speaking at Fu Hsing Kang College, an institution founded in the Cold War era to confront the threats of communism.

Taiwan and China, which regards the democratically governed island as its territory, have long carried out intelligence operations against one another, with Taiwan in particular reporting rising cases of Chinese espionage, especially among the military.

China has never shied away from using force to subdue Taiwan, and its military operates daily around the island.

The rank of a soldier derives from loyalty, Lai noted during the graduation ceremony at Fu Hsing Kang College outside Taipei.

In response to a variety of threats and challenges, as well as China’s incursions, divisions, sabotage, and espionage directed at our armed forces, I ask you to form a clear understanding of who is a friend and who is an enemy.

Only by resisting all forms of threats and temptations can we safeguard the sovereignty and security of our country.

He urged the graduates to resist communism, resist infiltration, firmly uphold democracy and freedom, and emphasize that the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to one another, using Taiwan’s official name.

The college, now part of the National Defense University, was established in 1951, just two years after the government of the Republic of China took refuge on Taiwan following its defeat in the civil war against Mao Zedong.

Its original mission was to train officers for political warfare and to instill in the army a deep anti-communist sentiment, and today the institution preserves its old-fashioned spirit.

On both sides of the hall where Lai spoke hung large Chinese characters reading: “I consider the rise or fall of the nation to be my personal responsibility,” written by former Taiwan leader Chiang Kai-shek shortly before his death in 1975.

Chiang Kai-shek remains a controversial figure in Taiwan: criticized for his harsh rule, but praised for his steadfast opposition to communism.

During the Cold War, the college also trained officers from other anti-communist countries, and today there are still foreign students here.

Attending the ceremony on Tuesday were ambassadors from Belize, Guatemala and Paraguay – countries that maintain formal relations with Taiwan – as well as a de facto ambassador from Jordan, which does not recognize Taiwan, despite close military ties at the time.

The events underscore Taiwan’s commitment to preserving its defensive and democratic values, and Fu Hsing Kang College continues to be an important hub with a rich history and those same principles.