MNA

The Navy recently conducted its annual key training event, the “114-2 Sea Strong Exercise,” successfully completing multiple live-force validation subjects, including immediate combat readiness drills, defensive mine-laying, sea-air vigilance, joint sea-air anti-submarine warfare, joint interception, joint counter-blockade, and combat power regeneration, showcasing the results of personnel’s rigorous training and proficiency. The Navy Headquarters stated that participating personnel completed all tasks with a professional attitude and strict discipline, validating the Navy’s real-time response and sustained combat capabilities in a multi-threat environment. Prior to the exercise, each vessel had progressively established initial, intermediate, and advanced combat readiness levels in accordance with the training schedule. Through this Sea Strong live-force confrontation exercise, the intensive training assessment was completed, achieving the advanced combat readiness level for surface warfare flotillas. The Navy Headquarters emphasized that Navy personnel, upholding the “Anchor Chain Spirit,” continuously refine their combat skills, strengthen teamwork, and enhance overall combat power, implementing the goal of “achieving true peace through strength,” and demonstrating the firm determination to safeguard maritime lines of communication and maintain regional peace and stability.

Recovery efforts in Guangfu Township, Hualien, following the disaster continue to advance. Coinciding with the three-day National Day holiday, large numbers of volunteers from across the country poured into Guangfu Township to work shoulder-to-shoulder with ROC Armed Forces personnel on community cleanup and environmental disinfection, becoming the force helping this land stand tall once again and demonstrating the firm belief of military-civilian unity in rebuilding together. Today, marking the Double Tenth National Day, volunteers who rushed to Guangfu Township for disaster relief spontaneously waved national flags to jointly celebrate the occasion and extend sincere gratitude to the ROC Armed Forces personnel who have tirelessly devoted themselves to relief operations. The atmosphere at the scene was lively and heartwarming, with volunteers and service members encouraging one another, symbolizing the united strength of the entire nation in protecting the homeland together and filling post-disaster Guangfu Township with hope and emotion. In addition, to prepare for possible impacts from the northeast monsoon and Typhoons Halong and Nakri, ROC Armed Forces personnel assisted residents in stacking sandbags along the Lintian Main Road and clearing mud from surrounding homes, completing preventive measures ahead of time to ensure local safety.

Today, the Ministry of National Defense held a press conference to release the 2025 edition of the National Defense Report. Director HSU YUN-CHEN of the Defense Policy Division, Strategic Planning Department, delivered the briefing, taking “Agile and Resilient ROC Armed Forces, Firmly Defending the Nation” as the core theme to comprehensively elucidate to the people the current national security situation, national defense policy, and achievements in combat readiness administration, while conveying to the international community Taiwan’s firm determination to defend national sovereignty and maintain regional peace and stability. Director HSU stated that the compilation of this report is the 18th release since 1992, in accordance with Article 30 of the National Defense Act. The full report comprises over 78,000 words, supported by 66 photographs and 54 infographics, striving to demonstrate transparency in national defense affairs to the people and the international community through the most detailed content, concrete data, and specific items, thereby garnering public support and understanding for national defense. The cover of the 2025 National Defense Report features newly developed ROC Armed Forces weapons as the visual core, fully conveying the resolve and conviction of the report’s theme: “Agile and Resilient ROC Armed Forces, Firmly Defending the Nation.” The content is divided into four sections—“Strategic Environment,” “Solid National Defense,” “Foundation of Peace,” and “National Defense Management”—comprising eight chapters and 34 sections, encompassing the three major domains of military administration, military command, and armaments. The report emphasizes that the ROC Armed Forces, guided by the President’s national security concept of the “Four Pillars of Peace,” is constructing agile and responsive combat power while implementing societal defense resilience. In the “Strategic Environment” section, the report elucidates the international situation of U.S.-China strategic competition and the military threats and challenges posed to the Indo-Pacific region by the PRC’s expanding military power. In the “Solid National Defense” section, it explains how the ROC Armed Forces, based on the military strategy of “resolute defense and multi-layered deterrence,” adopts “multi-domain denial and resilient defense” as the direction for operational readiness, emphasizing asymmetric warfare and decentralized operations to build reliable defensive combat power. Furthermore, the “Foundation of Peace” section elaborates that Taiwan will continue to engage in national defense and security cooperation with the United States and other friendly and allied nations, establishing democratic partnerships to jointly address potential threats and becoming a reliable partner for security cooperation in the region. Finally, the “National Defense Management” section outlines the administration measures and achievements of the ROC Armed Forces in promoting defense self-reliance, reforming unit management, deepening national defense education, and improving personnel care. The Ministry of National Defense emphasized that ROC Armed Forces personnel maintain round-the-clock combat readiness and duty, serving as the solid backbone of national security and a key pillar of social stability. Through the release of the National Defense Report, it is hoped to consolidate the national defense will of all citizens, strengthen public confidence in national defense, and collectively strive to defend the homeland.

This week, Defense Online will launch a series of reports on the “2025 Taipei International Aerospace and Defense Industry Exhibition” and plan two episodes to present the latest weapon highlights in the “Defense Pavilion.” The first episode, “Building Resilient National Defense,” will lead viewers to preview the joint operations weapons and equipment exhibition area, experiencing the achievements of the ROC Armed Forces’ modernization efforts in military buildup. This year’s aerospace exhibition breaks new records in scale, with 490 exhibitors from 15 countries participating, creating an unprecedented spectacle. Among them, the “Defense Pavilion” takes “resilient national defense and strengthening national power” as its main theme, showcasing 51 items of self-developed and upgraded equipment by the ROC Armed Forces, fully presenting the results of defense self-reliance and becoming the focal point of the entire event. The program content will particularly introduce key equipment such as the Strongbow Missile System, 2.75-inch Rocket Vehicle-Mounted Turret, M1A2T Tank, Himars Multiple Launch Rocket System, and 105mm Wheeled Tank, and invite experts and senior foreign media reporters to share their tactical value, fully demonstrating the ROC Armed Forces’ overall combat power of “resolute defense and multi-layered deterrence.” In the face of rapidly changing security challenges, the ROC Armed Forces continues to integrate joint operations effectiveness, developing the “multi-domain denial and resilient defense” readiness direction to strengthen national power and resilient national defense, safeguarding national security and maintaining regional peace. The “2025 Taipei International Aerospace and Defense Industry Exhibition – Building Resilient National Defense” will premiere on Thursday (December 2) at 2:00 PM on the Chinese Television System channel, with rebroadcasts on Friday at 2:00 PM and Saturday at 8:00 AM. The public is also welcome to watch on the “Military News Agency” website and YouTube channel to witness together the solid achievements of the ROC Armed Forces in military buildup and readiness.

Typhoon Ragasa caused severe damage in the Hualien area. President Lai Ching-te commended the ROC Armed Forces for their full commitment to disaster relief and reconstruction in the affected areas. To further accelerate recovery progress, the Ministry of National Defense continues to dispatch additional troops for cross-regional reinforcement, ensuring sufficient manpower and material resources in the disaster zones to address subsequent cleanup and rebuilding efforts. After a comprehensive assessment of recovery progress in the disaster areas and in accordance with President Lai’s policy directive of “every second counts” in disaster relief operations, the Ministry of National Defense will deploy additional troops from the Second and Fourth Operational Zones tomorrow (November 26), providing approximately 2,000 personnel equipped with relevant machinery. In coordination with local government needs, these forces will work day and night in shifts on tasks including material transport, road debris clearance, and urban area restoration, maintaining uninterrupted disaster relief operations. Furthermore, under authorization from the President and with the consensus of township or village leaders as well as the accompaniment of homeowners, service members may enter residences to assist in removing large furniture or clearing mud, taking the most practical actions to help citizens rebuild their homes as quickly as possible.

The “Sancha Mountain Incident” occurred just as World War II had ended and peace was beginning to dawn. On September 10, 1945, a U.S. military bomber named Liquidator, carrying released Allied prisoners of war of American, Australian, and Dutch nationalities back to their home countries, crashed on Sancha Mountain—at an elevation exceeding 3,000 meters—at the southern end of the Central Mountain Range under the assault of Typhoon Ursula in the Western Pacific. All 25 persons on board perished. Upon receiving the news, local communities in Taitung, undeterred by the high mountains, treacherous paths, and severe weather, immediately formed multiple search and rescue teams to rush into the mountains for relief efforts. However, the subsequent Typhoon Jean, bringing fierce winds and torrential rain, ultimately claimed the lives of 26 individuals, including Japanese military police, civilian police, and members of the Amis, Bunun, Pinuyumayan, Siraya, Hoklo, and Hakka communities. This humanitarian rescue operation—intertwined with typhoons, an air crash, and a mountain disaster, transcending nationality and ethnicity—has since been known as the “Sancha Mountain Incident.” Its brilliance of humanity and sacrifice has never faded. To honor the souls of the 25 young warriors from distant lands who fought in the war and the 26 brave individuals who perished during the rescue, and to preserve this precious memory, the government formed a task team at the end of June this year. The team trekked through mountains and rivers to return to Sancha Mountain, conducting a four-day, three-night spirit-consolation mission. At the summit, team members held a solemn prayer ceremony, offered flowers and wine, and built a stone cairn to pray for the deceased, paying the highest tribute to the victims with reverent actions, symbolizing the nation and its people’s eternal remembrance of history. During the mission, the task team ventured into rarely accessed forest zones to survey the crash site, diligently searching for aircraft wreckage and relics from 80 years ago. On September 8, a CH-47 helicopter from Army Aviation landed near Jiaming Lake, retrieving the remains of four machine guns, which were transported back and placed in temporary storage. These will subsequently be systematically catalogued, preserved, and studied by a military museum, with the aim of establishing a complete historical archive and planning an exhibition to ensure this story of humanitarian rescue endures for generations. The Sancha Mountain Incident highlights the humanitarian spirit of rushing to aid others without regard for borders or ethnic identity under extreme weather and harsh terrain. It is not merely local history but a manifestation of universal human values. As democratic societies worldwide reflect on the historical lesson of World War II—“unity ensures victory, aggression ensures defeat”—Sancha Mountain should not remain merely a site of tragedy but an eternal monument, reminding humanity that only through unity can freedom, democracy, and regional security be safeguarded, laying the foundation for everlasting and genuine peace.

The ROC Navy 2025 Goodwill Voyage Training Fleet arrived at its second friendly nation, the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This marks the third consecutive year of visits, further deepening substantive and friendly interactions between the two countries through a series of activities, successfully accomplishing the mission of strengthening diplomatic ties and extending greetings to overseas compatriots. Upon the Goodwill Fleet’s arrival at the port of the friendly nation, it was warmly welcomed by Marshall Islands Minister of Foreign Trade Kalani Kaneko, ROC Ambassador Hsia Li-yen, Majuro City Executive Director Jina David, as well as local residents and overseas compatriots. On the first day of the visit, Ambassador Hsia Li-yen, accompanied by Fleet Commander Captain Liu and key fleet officers, paid a courtesy call on Marshall Islands President Hilda C. Heine for talks and exchanges, demonstrating the high importance the Marshall Islands places on the Goodwill Fleet’s visit and reflecting Taiwan’s long-term efforts in cultivating international exchanges and strengthening ties with allied nations. In the evening, a goodwill reception was held aboard the Panshi vessel, hosting dignitaries from the host nation as well as personnel from our embassy, technical mission, medical center, and overseas compatriots, with a full and enthusiastic schedule. During the visit, cadets from the ROC Naval Academy proceeded to a public school under the Marshall Islands Ministry of Education to paint murals on the school walls. In addition to painting the national flags of both countries and depicting Navy goodwill vessels sailing at sea, they also added the words “Lasting Friendship,” symbolizing the long-standing and profound friendship between the two nations. Notably, Marshall Islands Presidential Assistant and Minister of Environment Bremity Lakjohn specially visited to admire the cadets’ mural work and took photos with the students to express gratitude for their efforts, creating cherished memories. The highlight of the visit was a performance at the local ECC Sports Arena, featuring spectacular displays by the “ROC Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps,” “Navy Honor Guard,” and “Marine Corps Jyuquan Team,” earning enthusiastic cheers from local residents and overseas compatriots. Before the fleet’s departure, Minister of Foreign Trade Kalani Kaneko, Ambassador Hsia Li-yen, Fleet Commander Captain Liu, and others jointly presided over a flag-raising ceremony. The Navy band successively played the national anthems of both countries as the flags of the two nations were raised together. Overseas compatriots living abroad felt a strong sense of belonging to their homeland. Following the ceremony, compatriots lined the pier waving national flags vigorously to bid farewell to the officers and sailors from their homeland, bringing the goodwill visit to a perfect conclusion.

On the eve of the September 3 Armed Forces Day, the Chinese Culture Association, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Defense Military News Agency, officially released the latest episode of Artisan Spirit titled “Dog Power Unleashed” today. This episode features the highly popular “K9” military dog unit on social media, taking viewers behind the scenes of military dogs’ daily lives, from training processes and duties to retirement mechanisms. Wearing specialized vests and dog boots, “K9” (a homophone of the English word “canine”) is the universal term used by countries worldwide for military and police dogs. The Military Police Command’s Guard Battalion Military Dog Unit is responsible for venue security inspections at the Presidential Office, locations visited by the head of state, and major event sites. It is the only unit in the ROC Armed Forces that employs dogs to perform counter-terrorism explosive detection tasks. Handlers and military dogs work in close partnership to search for and neutralize potential threats such as explosives, ensuring the safety of key locations and personnel. “These spirited explosive detection dogs were once adorable, fluffy puppies.” Military dog trainer Staff Sergeant Wang Po-min explained that training for Military Police dogs mostly begins at the Ministry of Finance Customs Administration’s Drug Detection Dog Training Center. Since 2018, the ROC Armed Forces have collaborated with the center, selecting Labrador Retrievers as the breed for training. From birth, puppies undergo gradual training: using games to develop their sense of smell and exploration instincts, learning to adapt to different environments, and gradually building positive foundations through companionship and encouragement, preparing them for future missions. To enhance social adaptability, puppies between two months and one year of age are placed with foster families. These families take them to schools, train stations, parks, and other public places to familiarize them with crowds and environments. After reaching one year of age, the dogs are assigned to different units. This socialization phase determines whether the dogs will be able to successfully perform important tasks in the future. Staff Sergeant Wang stated that a well-known saying in military dog training is “Trust Your Dog,” meaning a partnership is built through complete trust. Military dogs and their handlers are the most important work partners. The training philosophy of the military dog unit is not based on obedience but on establishing trust and rapport through games, interaction, and positive reinforcement. This relationship extends beyond duty hours; in daily life, handlers must maintain the most sincere interaction with their dogs, carefully reading the messages they convey and allowing the dogs to sustain their enthusiasm for work through a continuous sense of achievement. Episode 55 of Artisan Spirit, “Dog Power Unleashed,” premiered today at 0800 hours on the Chinese Culture Association’s Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram platforms, with simultaneous release on the Military News Agency YouTube channel.

Today, the Ministry of National Defense held the “Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Victory in World War II and the War of Resistance Against Japan – MEMORY becomes MISSION” concert at the Taipei International Convention Center. The event specially invited veterans who participated in the war, Mr. Chang Tso-min and Mr. Chang Ying-nan, to attend in person. Minister Koo Li-hsiung personally presented commemorative badges, demonstrating the nation’s highest respect for these veterans of the War of Resistance. The concert carefully selected classic songs from various eras, combining acrobatic dancers and orchestral performances with light sculpture projections and animated visuals to create a brand-new immersive stage experience, allowing historical memory and contemporary mission to intertwine and resonate. The imagery in the performance depicted how, 80 years ago, ROC Armed Forces predecessors, embracing the conviction “If I live, the nation dies; if I die, the nation lives,” used their bodies to withstand gunfire, securing the eternal waving of the blue sky, white sun, and red earth flag. The performance content used history as the warp and exemplary figures as the weft, drawing from historical facts such as girl scout Yang Hui-min risking her life to deliver the national flag, the Flying Tigers aiding China, and the Sino-American Composite Wing in action, conveying the core spirit of “military and civilian unity, demonstrating resilience” and interpreting the historical cooperation of “allied unity, marching together,” linking Taiwan with the international community’s shared democratic values and deep friendship. The concert also specially invited the band 911 to passionately perform classic songs including “Gale Ale,” “LOCAL,” “Battlefield Legend,” and “The World Has Seen,” allowing the audience to feel the steadfast camaraderie on the battlefield and the unity and resilience demonstrated by Taiwan. At the conclusion, the National Defense University Political Warfare and Management College Choir joined the Taipei Philharmonic Youth and Children’s Choir to perform the three services’ anthems and inspirational songs, conveying to all personnel and citizens the message “I serve in the military, and I am proud,” taking pride in being service members and guardians of the homeland, demonstrating the ROC Armed Forces’ determination to pass the torch and shoulder its mission. The Ministry of National Defense stated that this concert is not only a remembrance of history but also a pledge to defend the nation. Whether in the past or present, whenever the nation faces threats, the military and civilians of the entire country have always upheld the spirit of the War of Resistance, vowing to defend the homeland to the death and yield not an inch of territory. In the face of current regional security threats, only firm conviction and national unity can perpetuate the torch of freedom and democracy. It is hoped that through this concert, the memories of the people will be reawakened, the spirit of the heroic martyrs engraved in hearts and passed down through generations, and the War of Resistance spirit of “safeguarding the Republic of China,” “military and civilian unity against the enemy,” “youth stepping forward to defend the nation,” and “allies fighting together” deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

President Lai Ching-te this morning presided over the “Inauguration Ceremony of the National Defense Medical University,” commending the decades-long profound contributions of the National Defense Medical Center to the development of military medicine and offering three expectations for the newly elevated National Defense Medical University: 1. Cultivate medical students with global vision, humanistic literacy and the school motto of “universal love and loyalty” 2. Continuously advance Taiwan’s public health research and infectious disease prevention capabilities to contribute to the nation 3. Continuously improve field military medicine drawing on the combat casualty care experience of the United States and other countries to enhance ROC Armed Forces combat effectiveness and strengthen overall societal defense resilience The ceremony was held this morning at National Defense Medical University. President Lai joined distinguished guests in unveiling the plaque for “National Defense Medical University,” inspected the Combat Trauma and Disaster Medical Training Center and the Medical Technology Education Center, and received briefings on service activities from international volunteer teams from Nepal, Indonesia, Cambodia, Mongolia, India, and Malaysia, gaining insight into combat casualty care training missions and the application of medical technology courses and teaching methods. In his address, President Lai stated that the National Defense Medical Center was officially upgraded to “National Defense Medical University” on August 1, 2025. After decades of effort by the National Defense Medical Center, its achievements have greatly benefited the nation, society, and the people, earning widespread recognition. The elevation to university status today further demonstrates the nation’s strong support for military medicine development. He felt honored to personally preside over the inauguration ceremony, witnessing this historic moment together, and on behalf of the people extended congratulations, wishing the university continued prosperity. He believes the university will shoulder even greater missions in the future, continuing to serve the nation, society, and the people. During the event, President Lai commended the contributions of all physicians from the former National Defense Medical Center to society, noting that residents of Jinshan, Wanli, and Keelung areas often choose Tri-Service General Hospital for serious illnesses, demonstrating that its primary care services are deeply trusted. Furthermore, National Defense Medical University is the only higher education institution in the nation that combines military missions with medical education—a cradle for cultivating dual-mission heroes. As a president from the medical profession and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, he will shoulder the responsibility to support the university’s development without reservation. He also looks forward to Major General Lin Chih-yuan, President of National Defense Medical University, building on the solid foundation laid by previous presidents to elevate contributions even further. President Lai encouraged National Defense Medical University to continue refining its efforts in cultivating medical students with global vision, humanistic literacy, and the school motto of “universal love and loyalty” while deepening community service. Military hospitals, including Tri-Service General Hospital, were not established solely to serve the armed forces; in peacetime they also care for public health. He hopes they will continue to improve and expand in the future. President Lai pointed out that National Defense Medical University is the only institution in the nation equipped with a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory—a rare asset. He noted that global infectious diseases emerge roughly once every one or two decades, varying in scale, such as SARS in 2002 or COVID-19 in 2019, all of which posed threats to Taiwan as well. He hopes the university will make good use of this resource to continuously advance Taiwan’s public health research and infectious disease prevention capabilities, contributing to the nation. President Lai further stated that what distinguishes National Defense Medical University from ordinary medical universities is its expertise in field military medicine and combat casualty care training. Continuous improvement in these areas will greatly benefit ROC Armed Forces combat effectiveness and even overall societal defense resilience. Taiwan should continue to advance field military medicine, learn from the combat casualty care experience of the United States and other countries through international cooperation, and utilize AI, AR, and VR as learning tools. Finally, President Lai once again encouraged National Defense Medical University, following its elevation, to continue advancing in three major areas: medical services, infectious disease prevention and control, and field military medicine and combat casualty care training, extending these efforts nationwide. He believes this will greatly benefit the nation. Attendees included Presidential Office Senior Advisers Tong Yong and Shen Rong-tsong, Strategic Adviser Huo Shou-yeh, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, Minister of National Defense Koo Li-hsiung, Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao, Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan, Veterans Affairs Council Chairman Yen Te-fa, Director-General of the Medical Affairs Bureau Major General Tsai Chien-sung, and President of National Defense Medical University Major General Lin Chih-yuan.