President Lai presides over general promotion ceremony, hopes Legislative Yuan supports undiluted defense budget
President Lai Ching-te presided over a military promotion ceremony and called on the Legislative Yuan to approve the NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget over eight years without cuts. This budget is crucial for comprehensively enhancing Taiwan's self-defense capabilities against China's attempts to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, ensuring national security.
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- 📰 Published: April 29, 2026 at 11:55
- 🔍 Collected: April 29, 2026 at 12:01 (6 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 29, 2026 at 12:04 (2 min after Collected)
Central News
(Central News Agency reporter Yeh Su-ping, Taipei, 29th) Negotiations among Legislative Yuan party caucuses on the special defense act draft have not reached a consensus. President Lai Ching-te said today that to provide the military with maximum support, the Executive Yuan has proposed an 8-year, NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget, which is a key plan to comprehensively enhance defense capabilities. He expects the Legislative Yuan to support the government's complete plan, ensuring the special budget is not discounted and national security is further strengthened.
President Lai presided over the "Republic of China 115th May General Promotion and Rank Conferment Ceremony" at the Presidential Office today, congratulating the promoted generals. President Lai said that this is not only a personal honor but also represents the nation's affirmation of their abilities and a greater trust and mandate.
President Lai congratulated Wang Chih-hui on his promotion to Lieutenant General. He said that Wang Chih-hui, during his tenure as Director of the Manpower Planning Department at the Army Command Headquarters, actively promoted the optimization of the Army's uniform system and contributed to talent cultivation. His transfer to the Chief of Staff for Personnel at the Ministry of National Defense is an expectation for Wang Chih-hui to continue refining recruitment, cultivation, and retention mechanisms from the overall national defense perspective, building a more resilient and combat-ready talent base for the military.
President Lai also congratulated Colonels Lan Kuan-jung and Hao Ssu-yuan on their promotion to Major General. The two generals have long been involved in the Army's combat training system, participating in various major exercises. They possess strong execution capabilities in troop training, combat readiness, and support coordination.
President Lai said that Lan Kuan-jung and Hao Ssu-yuan have been appointed as Chief of Staff of the Penghu Defense Command and Commander of the Army's Combined Arms Brigade 333, respectively. Penghu holds a critical strategic position, and Brigade 333 is an important combined arms force in the southern region. He expects the two generals to leverage their expertise in combat training, integration, and command to strengthen troop tactical applications and enhance their ability to respond to and adapt to changes, making the military's combat capabilities even more robust.
President Lai emphasized that only by enhancing self-defense capabilities can true peace be ensured. Unification packaged as peace will inevitably bring endless troubles to the nation. Currently, China frequently conducts gray zone operations and military exercises around the Taiwan Strait, combining military, legal, informational, and psychological means to attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the region.
He said that in the face of such challenges, the military must adhere to the philosophy of "new training, new thinking, new equipment, new technology," integrating unmanned vehicles and various emerging combat capabilities to comprehensively enhance "multi-domain deterrence and resilient defense" capabilities; and further, in the overall defense layout, advance towards the three major directions of "combatization," "technologicalization," and "total national defense."
The President stated that to give the military maximum support, the Executive Yuan has proposed an 8-year, NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget, which is a key plan to comprehensively enhance defense capabilities. "We expect the Legislative Yuan to support the government's complete plan, ensuring the special budget is not discounted and national security is further strengthened."
President Lai said that he also hopes that important military cadres, in addition to having precise strategic judgment and cross-domain integration capabilities, will lead the troops steadily through changes with firm conviction, making each training closer to actual combat needs, making each officer and soldier clearer about their mission, and allowing the military to fully demonstrate its determination to defend democracy and freedom. Let us work together to safeguard hard-won democracy and freedom, and protect national security and peace. (Editor: Su Chih-tsung) 1150429
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(Central News Agency reporter Yeh Su-ping, Taipei, 29th) Negotiations among Legislative Yuan party caucuses on the special defense act draft have not reached a consensus. President Lai Ching-te said today that to provide the military with maximum support, the Executive Yuan has proposed an 8-year, NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget, which is a key plan to comprehensively enhance defense capabilities. He expects the Legislative Yuan to support the government's complete plan, ensuring the special budget is not discounted and national security is further strengthened.
President Lai presided over the "Republic of China 115th May General Promotion and Rank Conferment Ceremony" at the Presidential Office today, congratulating the promoted generals. President Lai said that this is not only a personal honor but also represents the nation's affirmation of their abilities and a greater trust and mandate.
President Lai congratulated Wang Chih-hui on his promotion to Lieutenant General. He said that Wang Chih-hui, during his tenure as Director of the Manpower Planning Department at the Army Command Headquarters, actively promoted the optimization of the Army's uniform system and contributed to talent cultivation. His transfer to the Chief of Staff for Personnel at the Ministry of National Defense is an expectation for Wang Chih-hui to continue refining recruitment, cultivation, and retention mechanisms from the overall national defense perspective, building a more resilient and combat-ready talent base for the military.
President Lai also congratulated Colonels Lan Kuan-jung and Hao Ssu-yuan on their promotion to Major General. The two generals have long been involved in the Army's combat training system, participating in various major exercises. They possess strong execution capabilities in troop training, combat readiness, and support coordination.
President Lai said that Lan Kuan-jung and Hao Ssu-yuan have been appointed as Chief of Staff of the Penghu Defense Command and Commander of the Army's Combined Arms Brigade 333, respectively. Penghu holds a critical strategic position, and Brigade 333 is an important combined arms force in the southern region. He expects the two generals to leverage their expertise in combat training, integration, and command to strengthen troop tactical applications and enhance their ability to respond to and adapt to changes, making the military's combat capabilities even more robust.
President Lai emphasized that only by enhancing self-defense capabilities can true peace be ensured. Unification packaged as peace will inevitably bring endless troubles to the nation. Currently, China frequently conducts gray zone operations and military exercises around the Taiwan Strait, combining military, legal, informational, and psychological means to attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the region.
He said that in the face of such challenges, the military must adhere to the philosophy of "new training, new thinking, new equipment, new technology," integrating unmanned vehicles and various emerging combat capabilities to comprehensively enhance "multi-domain deterrence and resilient defense" capabilities; and further, in the overall defense layout, advance towards the three major directions of "combatization," "technologicalization," and "total national defense."
The President stated that to give the military maximum support, the Executive Yuan has proposed an 8-year, NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget, which is a key plan to comprehensively enhance defense capabilities. "We expect the Legislative Yuan to support the government's complete plan, ensuring the special budget is not discounted and national security is further strengthened."
President Lai said that he also hopes that important military cadres, in addition to having precise strategic judgment and cross-domain integration capabilities, will lead the troops steadily through changes with firm conviction, making each training closer to actual combat needs, making each officer and soldier clearer about their mission, and allowing the military to fully demonstrate its determination to defend democracy and freedom. Let us work together to safeguard hard-won democracy and freedom, and protect national security and peace. (Editor: Su Chih-tsung) 1150429
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.