MNA

President Lai Ching-te accompanied King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini and Inkhosikati LaZuma on a visit to the Army Aviation Flight Training Command this morning. They learned firsthand about the Armed Forces’ aviation training achievements and experienced a flight simulation system. The visit highlighted the deep friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini and their shared hope of further expanding bilateral cooperation and exchanges. Upon arrival, President Lai and King Mswati III first received a briefing on the flight simulation system and operated the simulator themselves. They then proceeded to an equipment display area to learn about the capabilities and mission profiles of various helicopters and assault vehicles. The visit provided an overview of the Army’s aviation training capacity and equipment operations. In his remarks, President Lai said that Taiwan and Eswatini have built a deep friendship over 58 years of diplomatic relations. The Army Aviation Flight Training Command is responsible for training the Armed Forces’ helicopter pilots and aviation maintenance personnel. From 2019 to 2020, in conjunction with the transfer of UH-1H helicopters, the Command helped train 11 Eswatini pilots and maintenance officers. Taiwan also dispatched instructors to Eswatini to share their flight and maintenance expertise, laying a strong foundation for closer bilateral cooperation. In his remarks, King Mswati III thanked Taiwan for its longstanding assistance in training Eswatini’s aviation professionals and providing helicopters. He emphasized that the aircraft have been used in such missions as emergency medical evacuation, playing an important role in protecting lives. The King also commended Taiwan’s achievements in aviation training and technological development, expressing hope that the two countries will continue sharing professional knowledge and experience while deepening cooperation across various fields. President Lai emphasized that King Mswati III’s 20th visit to Taiwan fully demonstrates his support for Taiwan and the strength of the friendship between the two countries. He expressed hope that the visit would further promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation and make the Taiwan-Eswatini friendship even stronger. Also attending the event were National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu Jaushieh ; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Wu Chih-chung; Vice Minister of National Defense General Chung Shu-ming; Chief of Army General Lu Kun-hsiu; and Army Aviation and Special Forces Command Commander Lieutenant General Yang Cheng-hua.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, Vice Minister of National Defense General Chung Shu-ming visited Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital today. On behalf of Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo Li-hsiung, he thanked the hospital’s medical personnel for their longstanding dedication to safeguarding the health of service members and the public. He also encouraged the hospital to strengthen its management and leadership, continue enhancing its medical capacity, and steadily advance toward its goal of becoming a medical center. Accompanied by Hospital Superintendent Major General Chen I-hung and other officials, Vice Minister Chung received a briefing on the hospital’s operations and future development plans. He also provided guidance on management and leadership, organizational development, and medical capacity. Vice Minister Chung stated that professional expertise and management and leadership skills are distinct capabilities. Department heads and managerial personnel must therefore continue developing their professional expertise while also considering how best to lead their teams, build consensus, and ensure the hospital’s steady development. Vice Minister Chung said that the hospital should use the OGSM framework, comprising objectives, goals, strategies, and measures, to establish its overall direction and specific development strategies. These objectives should then be translated into concrete key performance indicators for each department. Regular reviews and ongoing adjustments will help ensure that all initiatives remain aligned with the hospital’s established objectives. He added that the hospital should draw on the collective wisdom within the organization, with all departments working together to develop feasible strategies. This would create an operating model in which policies are established from the top down and strategies are developed from the bottom up. “People are the foundation of every organizational culture,” Vice Minister Chung emphasized. Since people are central to organizational development, supervisors implementing policies and reforms must prioritize communication and consensus-building, enabling personnel to understand the organization’s direction and willingly contribute to its development. He added that those who identify problems or offer criticism should also propose specific solutions. Through collective participation and continuous improvement, personnel can contribute to the organization’s growth. Vice Minister Chung stated that military hospitals differ from civilian hospitals. In addition to providing medical services, they undertake multiple responsibilities, including military medicine and support for national healthcare policies. Military hospitals must therefore carefully consider their institutional role and future direction. While strengthening medical expertise and service quality, they should also expand their medical capacity, establish a strong reputation, and gradually broaden their scope of services and enhance their overall competitiveness. During the visit, Vice Minister Chung also met with hospital administrative specialist Chin Liang-feng to check on his well-being and rehabilitation progress. He encouraged Chin to maintain his determination, continue making steady progress in rehabilitation, and work toward a full recovery. Vice Minister Chung also extended early Mid-Autumn Festival greetings to Chin and all medical personnel.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, Vice Minister of National Defense General Chung Shu-ming visited armaments units in central Taiwan today. On behalf of Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo Li-hsiung, he extended early holiday greetings to all personnel and commended their longstanding contributions to national security, military materiel research, development, and production, and military facilities and property management. Accompanied by relevant Joint Staff officers, Vice Minister Chung visited the Central Region Construction and Real Estate Division of the Armaments Bureau’s Construction and Real Estate Service Center and the 401st Plant of its Manufacturing and Production Center. He received mission briefings, reviewed the progress of ongoing projects, and presented Mid-Autumn Festival meal allowances in recognition of the dedication of military personnel and research and production staff. Vice Minister Chung stated that armaments readiness provides a solid foundation for defense preparedness and defense self-reliance. He noted that the Central Region Construction and Real Estate Division has long been responsible for maintaining military facilities and property and constructing new facilities. Its work is essential to improving service members’ living facilities and optimizing the use of defense assets. The division was also named an Exemplary Unit by the Ministry of National Defense this year in recognition of its outstanding performance. The 401st Plant, meanwhile, has demonstrated substantial research and production capabilities in optoelectronics, precision measurement, and geospatial surveying and mapping, providing indispensable support for enhancing the military’s overall defense capabilities. Regarding the development of critical technologies and current missions, Vice Minister Chung instructed the 401st Plant to treat the protection of classified information, counterintelligence, and information security as top priorities. He called for the rigorous implementation of cybersecurity safeguards, access controls, and security measures to protect critical national defense information. In response to current defense operational requirements, Vice Minister Chung emphasized that armaments production and engineering management must continue to evolve. He encouraged the units to advance their core technologies and professional expertise, implement risk-control and workplace-safety measures, and strengthen organizational resilience and technological research and development capabilities, ensuring that all force-development missions are completed on schedule and to the required standards.

As the field training phase ofHan Kuang 42 Exercise continued, Vice Minister of National Defense General Chung Shu-ming visited the Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital today to inspect a “mass-casualty response exercise.” He was accompanied by Third Theater of Operations Commander Lieutenant General Lien Chih-wei, Director of the Army Logistics Command’s Medical Affairs Division Major General Wu Yu-chuan, Acting Deputy Director-General of the Medical Affairs Bureau Colonel Chen, and other officials. Conducted as part of the exercise phase focusing on defense in depth and protracted operations, the scenario simulated the 584th Brigade suffering a large number of casualties during an engagement with enemy forces. After receiving Role 1 and Role 2 medical care and being processed through a casualty evacuation control point, the casualties were evacuated in sequence to the Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital. Upon receiving notification, the hospital immediately activated its emergency response mechanisms and converted its underground space into an alternate medical treatment facility. During the inspection, Vice Minister Chung reviewed the establishment and operation of the underground medical facility, inter-unit communications mechanisms, procedures for requesting road access for casualty evacuation, use of the “Field Smart Medical Information System,” backup power, and the self-sustaining blood product supply capability. Vice Minister Chung also reviewed wartime blood product resupply and transportation mechanisms. He reminded relevant units to plan carefully for potential wartime contingencies to ensure that blood products can reach points of care promptly and meet the treatment needs arising from mass-casualty incidents. Vice Minister Chung also provided guidance on the overall planning of uninterruptible power supplies, emergency generators, and the electricity required for medical equipment. These measures are intended to ensure that critical medical facilities and treatment operations can continue functioning if the external power supply is disrupted. In addition, Vice Minister Chung commended the use of the “Field Smart Medical Information System.” He expressed hope that the system would provide real-time information on casualty movements, patient intake at medical stations, and the medical needs of military units, thereby improving information integration and the efficiency of resource allocation. He also instructed the theater commander to coordinate closely with the medical and logistics systems, assess wartime medical requirements, and establish a comprehensive support mechanism.

Vice Minister of National Defense General Chung Shu-ming, accompanied by Department of Legal Affairs Director-General Lieutenant General Wu Yi-sheng, the Third Theater of Operations Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Tung Chi-hsing, and other officials, visited the Ministry’s Northern Regional Legal Service Center today to inspect a “practical wartime military trial exercise.” The exercise validated the formation of provisional tribunals and investigation teams by wartime military courts and prosecutors’ offices at all levels following the transition from peacetime to wartime, in accordance with the Military Trial Act. Vice Minister Chung also observed participants simulate the investigation and adjudication of alleged offenses under wartime conditions and other courtroom procedures. Vice Minister Chung said the Department of Legal Affairs had incorporated practical wartime military trial procedures into the field-training phase of the “Han Kuang 42 Exercise.” Active-duty military legal personnel assigned to the Taoyuan Central Operational Sector of the Third Theater of Operations during wartime formed a provisional tribunal and an investigation team to conduct the exercise jointly, validating wartime military justice mechanisms and capabilities. He commended the exercise for integrating military operations and battlefield developments from the broader operational scenario. This enabled participants to examine realistically the challenges that may arise during wartime adjudication and validate the relevant procedures and response measures. Finally, Vice Minister Chung encouraged the military justice system to establish standard operating procedures and continue providing in-service education and training. These efforts will enable military legal personnel to restore and strengthen their investigative and adjudicative competencies while building the capacity required to administer military justice during wartime.

On the third day of the field-training phase of the Han Kuang 42 Exercise, Vice Minister of National Defense General Chung Shu-ming visited the Fourth Theater of Operations today to inspect a “military, public, and private medical integration” exercise involving casualty evacuation and the relocation of medical capacity. The exercise validated the large-scale relocation and preservation of medical capacity at Armed Forces hospitals, the transfer of existing patients to lower-acuity facilities, and coordination mechanisms with external organizations. Participating units completed all exercise scenarios, demonstrating their ability to integrate medical resources and relocate medical supplies. Accompanied by Director-General of the Medical Affairs Bureau Lieutenant General Chen Yuan-hao and E-Da Hospital Superintendent Tu Yuan-kun, Vice Minister Chung visited the Zuoying Armed Forces General Hospital, Gangshan Veterans Home, Yanchao Emergency Aid Station, and E-Da Hospital. He inspected drills covering casualty evacuation, the relocation of medical supplies, the placement and care of wounded service members, and the transfer of civilian patients to appropriate facilities. In response to the exercise scenarios, participating units completed casualty triage, coordination with receiving and transferring units, applications for traffic priority along evacuation routes, interagency command-and-control communications, the dispatch of evacuation vehicles including mobilized transportation assets, the deployment of personnel including military support teams, and inventories of medical supplies and daily necessities. Through interagency coordination and cooperation, the exercise validated the wartime medical system’s operating mechanisms and emergency response capabilities. During the exercise, the Armed Forces medical system worked closely with local health authorities, veterans care institutions, and private medical facilities. Information sharing, ambulance dispatch, and tiered medical care mechanisms enabled casualties to be rapidly sorted, evacuated, and transferred to suitable medical institutions or accommodation facilities according to their condition. These measures help ensure continuity of care and preserve medical treatment capacity during wartime and disasters. Vice Minister Chung said the military, public, and private medical integration exercise was conducted in conjunction with the field-training phase of the “Han Kuang 42 Exercise.” Coordinated by the Ministry’s Medical Affairs Bureau, it brought together Armed Forces hospitals, private medical institutions, local health centers, and veterans homes to validate civil-military medical coordination mechanisms and response capacity under realistic conditions. The exercise not only demonstrated the progress achieved in integrating military, public, and private medical systems, but also identified a number of areas for improvement. Vice Minister Chung expressed hope that continued exercises would build experience, refine existing mechanisms, and comprehensively strengthen wartime medical support and whole-of-society defense resilience.

Vice Minister of National Defense for Armaments General Chung Shu-ming today presided over the installation ceremony for the new Director-General of the Armaments Bureau, Lieutenant General Huang Chao-cheng. He encouraged the Bureau, under Lieutenant General Huang’s leadership, to continue improving armaments readiness, weapons and equipment acquisition, and contract performance management; integrate defense technology with the capabilities of private industry; strengthen the foundations of defense self-reliance; and enhance the Armed Forces’ overall combat capabilities. The installation ceremony for the Director-General of the Ministry of National Defense’s Armaments Bureau was held this morning at Bo’ai Camp. During the ceremony, Vice Minister Chung first read the official appointment order, after which Lieutenant General Huang Chao-cheng took the oath of office and formally assumed his new position. Vice Minister Chung noted that the Armaments Bureau is responsible for armaments readiness, the research, development, and production of defense technologies and weapons systems, as well as military engineering and real property management. In recent years, the Bureau has achieved strong results in supporting the services with major weapons acquisition programs, defense technology R&D, oversight of military construction projects, and more effective use of military real estate. He encouraged all personnel to continue embracing innovation and reform while strengthening coordination and cooperation across departments. Vice Minister Chung emphasized that defense self-reliance is an essential foundation for strengthening the Armed Forces’ combat capabilities. In the face of serious threats, weapons and equipment acquisition must be driven by actual force-development and combat-readiness requirements. Procurement must be conducted in accordance with the law, while procurement strategies and contract performance management should be continually improved. Qualification reviews and contract oversight must also be strengthened to safeguard national defense and security. Finally, Vice Minister Chung encouraged the Armaments Bureau to maintain close cooperation with the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), guided by the principles of “establishing core capabilities, integrating resources, forming strategic alliances, and promoting specialization and cooperation.” By integrating private-sector technologies and external resources, the Bureau should expand the scale of domestic defense production. He also called on all personnel to work together under Director-General Huang’s leadership to build credible combat capabilities.

Vice Minister of National Defense for Armaments General Chung Shu-ming today chaired the 2026 selection meetings for the “Outstanding Contribution Award in All-out Defense Education” and the “Outstanding Armed Forces Personnel and Exemplary Units.” He encouraged panel members to uphold the principles of fairness, impartiality, and transparency, apply their professional expertise, and objectively select outstanding individuals and organizations for recognition of their contributions to all-out defense education and excellence in combat readiness and training. Both meetings were held at the Ministry’s Bo’ai Camp. At the selection meeting for the “Outstanding Contribution Award in All-out Defense Education,” Vice Minister Chung first presented certificates of appointment to the panel members, who then reviewed the individuals and organizations nominated by participating units. At the selection meeting for “Outstanding Armed Forces Personnel and Exemplary Units,” the panel evaluated personnel and units nominated following preliminary selection according to the established criteria. Once the results of both selections are formally approved, the selected individuals and organizations will be publicly recognized at the Ministry’s “2026 Armed Forces Day and All-out Defense Education Day Awards Ceremony.” On behalf of Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo Li-hsiung, Vice Minister Chung thanked the panel members for taking the time to participate. He expressed hope that they would select outstanding individuals and organizations dedicated to advancing all-out defense education, recognize their contributions to national defense, and continue supporting all-out defense education and major defense policies. Regarding the selection of “Outstanding Armed Forces Personnel and Exemplary Units,” Vice Minister Chung said the honorees represent the exceptional performance of Armed Forces personnel over the past year in combat readiness and training, military discipline, and other areas. Their selection also serves as important recognition of the dedication and hard work of frontline personnel and units. He therefore urged panel members to avoid preconceived judgments and ensure that those selected are truly worthy of serving as examples for the entire Armed Forces. Vice Minister Chung also encouraged relevant units to highlight the achievements of the selected personnel and units through a variety of publicity and media channels, showcasing their dedication to combat readiness and training and allowing their example to inspire others. At the same time, service members and units that performed exceptionally well but were not selected should also receive appropriate recognition and encouragement.

Vice Minister of National Defense General Chung Shu-ming today inspected the Armed Forces’ 2026 Fifth Theater of Operations “Military, Public, and Private Medical Integration” Exercise. Designed around realistic combat scenarios, the exercise tested the theater’s medical response capabilities under threat conditions. Participants responded calmly in accordance with standard operating procedures, fully demonstrating the resilience of the integrated medical system. Accompanied by National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan, Vice Chief of Army Lieutenant General Chang Tai-sung, Fifth Theater of Operations Commander Lieutenant General Shao Chih-chun, and Medical Affairs Bureau Director-General Lieutenant General Chen Yuan-hao, Vice Minister Chung visited Taichung Tianhou Temple, the Central Region Resources Branch of the Water Resources Agency, Asia University Hospital, and Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital this morning to observe the exercise. The exercise covered combat casualty care; medical operations at casualty collection points and battalion aid stations; operations at casualty evacuation control points and by forward surgical teams; the delivery of blood products and medical supplies by drone; mass-casualty response; the establishment of underground treatment facilities and walking blood bank operations for the immediate use of freshly donated blood; and the admission and treatment of patients at veterans homes. These activities tested the medical integration mechanism across military, public, and private institutions, as well as the effectiveness of medical support operations. Vice Minister Chung thanked the Taichung City Government, Taiwan Blood Services Foundation, Quanta Computer, and other private-sector participants for contributing to the exercise, which showcased the results of cross-sector cooperation among the military, government, and private sector. Guided by the principle that “even if there is no war for a century, combat readiness cannot be neglected for a single day,” the Armed Forces will continue integrating the capabilities of central and local government agencies and the private sector to strengthen societal and medical resilience and ensure comprehensive wartime preparedness. Vice Minister Chung noted that an integrated military, public, and private medical system must be planned comprehensively in line with each theater’s overall operational concept, assessed threats, and national resilience requirements. Medical resources from the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and local providers must be integrated and appropriately allocated according to the different phases of operations and mission requirements. Civilian expertise in smart healthcare, blood supply, and drone logistics should also continue to be incorporated to enhance wartime medical support and overall medical resilience. Chung explained that the exercise not only tested medical support procedures and interagency coordination, but also provided an important opportunity to determine whether medical resources had been allocated according to actual needs. Its results will be systematically compiled through observation, analysis, and after-action reviews (AARs) to inform further improvements in training and preparedness. He further emphasized that the lessons learned should be used to develop standard operating procedures shared by military and civilian medical systems, giving every theater of operations a consistent framework to follow. Medical integration and support capabilities must continue to be refined, while exercise experience should be institutionalized. This will ensure that medical resources from all sectors can be rapidly integrated during wartime, maximize the effectiveness of medical rescue efforts, and strengthen overall emergency response capabilities.

Vice Minister for Armaments General Chung Shu-ming visited Hualien today on behalf of Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo Li-hsiung to extend appreciation to personnel at the Hualien Armed Forces General Hospital and the Hualien-Taitung Detachment of the Armaments Bureau’s Construction and Real Estate Service Center. He thanked them for their long-standing dedication to combat readiness support and medical services and extended his early wishes for a happy Dragon Boat Festival. During the visit, Vice Minister Chung received briefings from the Hualien-Taitung Detachment of the Central Region Construction and Real Estate Division under the Armaments Bureau’s Construction and Real Estate Service Center, as well as from the Hualien Armed Forces General Hospital, to gain a better understanding of their mission execution and current priorities. Regarding the operations of the Hualien-Taitung Detachment, Vice Minister Chung noted that the Hualien-Taitung region covered a vast area, making mission execution and project implementation particularly challenging. He encouraged the unit to periodically review non-essential tasks and scheduling arrangements to avoid unnecessary workloads. He also emphasized the importance of personnel succession planning and knowledge transfer to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities before experienced contract employees retired. With respect to real estate and facility management, which frequently involved land administration, inspections, and coordination with local authorities, Vice Minister Chung encouraged leaders at all levels to proactively understand on-site conditions, identify the root causes of issues, and handle related cases appropriately. After receiving the briefing from the Hualien Armed Forces General Hospital, Vice Minister Chung stated that military medical personnel served as both service members and healthcare professionals. In addition to providing routine medical care, they should develop a comprehensive understanding of military medicine and their roles in wartime operations. He emphasized the importance of considering the functions and responsibilities that military hospitals would assume during combat operations. He also called for closer coordination with the theater of operations and the continued refinement of casualty collection, forward medical support, treatment at designated hospitals, and medical evacuation planning through peacetime preparations, computer-assisted wargaming, and validation during the Han Kuang Exercises. Furthermore, he encouraged integration with the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s designated hospital network to jointly strengthen medical resilience in the Hualien region. Regarding the hospital’s future development, Vice Minister Chung stated that enhancing medical capacity required continuous improvements in facilities, professional expertise, and the quality of healthcare services. He encouraged the superintendent and supervisors at all levels not only to excel in their professional responsibilities but also to focus on the hospital’s long-term development. Through effective goal-setting, strategic planning, and performance management, they could continue improving healthcare quality and operational effectiveness. He further noted that smart healthcare would be an important area of future development. Fields such as AI-assisted clinical decision-making and healthcare system automation merit sustained investment and advancement. Vice Minister Chung encouraged all personnel to leverage collective wisdom, strengthen communication and coordination, and continue advancing the development of military medicine.