Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo Li-hsiung attended a session of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee today to deliver a special report and field questions from legislators on “The Relocation of Songshan Airport and the Expansion of Taichung Airport: Realigning the Military and Civil Aviation Functions of Airports Nationwide” and on the draft amendments to certain articles of the All-Out Defense Education Act.
Minister Koo stated that any adjustment to the functions of joint-use military-civilian airports should give top priority to national defense resilience and military missions, while also taking into account economic development and the public’s transportation needs. Such adjustments should be deliberated carefully and jointly by the relevant central government ministries and local governments in accordance with their respective responsibilities, so as to safeguard national security while giving due consideration to overall aviation resources and regional development.
Addressing legislators’ ’ concerns about the impact of airport relocation on national security, Minister Koo further noted that joint-use military-civilian airports carry out important military missions in both peacetime and wartime and are critical facilities for national defense resilience. When assessing any relocation or functional realignment, the Ministry of National Defense will provide professional assessments based on national defense considerations to ensure that overall defense capabilities are not affected.
Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Operations and Planning Lieutenant General Hou Chia-lun stated that airports are critical infrastructure for national air transport, military missions, emergency response, and logistical resupply, and that decisions on airport relocation or expansion should take into account overall national air transport needs, national security, aviation safety, balanced regional development, and fiscal efficiency. The Ministry of National Defense will adhere to the principles of “overall national planning, uncompromised defense missions, and balanced consideration of both military and civilian needs” in providing professional input on military missions, coordination between military and civil aviation, and national resilience requirements.
Regarding the draft amendments to certain articles of the All-Out Defense Education Act, Minister Koo emphasized that the amendments involve aligning the Act with changes in government organization and refining the mechanisms for promoting all-out defense education. As the central competent authority for all-out defense education, the Ministry of National Defense will continue its work on public outreach, program implementation, and evaluation in order to build public consensus on all-out defense and instill the concept of all-out defense throughout society.
Political Warfare Bureau Director-General Lieutenant General Shih Shun-wen explained that since its enactment and implementation in 2005, the All-Out Defense Education Act has produced significant results through the concerted efforts of the competent authorities concerned. The Ministry of National Defense has prepared recommendations on the draft amendments for legislators’ reference and will, in keeping with its responsibilities, continue to deepen all-out defense education in order to strengthen citizens’ patriotism and all-out defense awareness.