"Freedom in Stormy Seas: Is Taiwan Ready?" The policy forum was held at Chengchi University on the 12th. The picture shows former US Deputy National Security Advisor Bo Ming.

(Photo by reporter Cong Changjin)

[Reporter Wu Shuwei/Taipei Report] President Tsai Ing-wen announced at the end of last year that men who were drafted after 2005 will resume one-year military service next year; former US Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger pointed out today that compulsory military service will be expanded from 4 months to 12 This month's move is a commitment and a declaration by Taiwan's entire society to safeguard sovereignty, because in a democratic country, sovereignty begins with the people, and it sent a warning to Beijing.

Bo Ming, who is currently the chairman of the China Project of the American think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, delivered a speech in Chinese at the "Social Science 30x Guidelines Policy Forum-Freedom in Stormy Seas: Is Taiwan Ready?" at Chengchi University today , and had a conversation with former Chief of Staff Li Ximing.

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Bo Ming pointed out that he saw remarks such as "the United States uses Taiwan as a pawn and is preparing to Ukrainize Taiwan" and "Taiwan's ability to strengthen its defense against aggression is provocative" on Taiwanese TV, news publications, and private conversations. This is Beijing's perception. The war in Taiwan has achieved some success, but Washington, the founding father of the United States, once said, "In order to ensure peace, people must know that we are ready to fight at any time." Both Taipei and Washington should regard this as a wise consensus.

Pomin said that if the above-mentioned remarks appeared in South Korea, such as "If South Korea gives up its national defense, maybe North Korea will spare us or be kind to us", or if it advocates maintaining friendly relations and "equal distance" with Iran in Israel, these are all It is unimaginable that these arguments are equally absurd and untenable in the context of Taiwan, South Korea, and Israel. Once they are alert to Beijing's cognitive war, these absurdities will stink like stinky tofu in Taipei night markets.

At this moment, the audience roared with laughter, and Bo Ming added by the way, "I like to eat stinky tofu."

Bomin said, "What have we learned from Ukraine?" In addition to preventing wars is better than fighting wars, what is more important is the key role of the will to fight. He was a lieutenant in the US Marine Corps 18 years ago. He learned through training and won The incalculable key factor for the victory of war is human willpower; that is, the determination to defend the country can make up for the disadvantages in equipment and personnel. The high will to defend the country can become a deterrent force to defend peace. High will It needs to be cultivated.

Bo Ming praised Taiwan for expanding the compulsory military system from 4 months to 12 months. He also affirmed that the extended service period can obtain strict and combat-effective training requirements. He has also heard stories about Taiwan's military service, such as "alternative service brushing the fence", Military service is always a bit of drudgery, but the main task must be to focus on developing military skills so that Taiwan's reserve forces can serve as a support for military forces in times of war.

"The 12-month military conscription is a commitment and declaration by the whole society of Taiwan to safeguard sovereignty," Bo Ming said, because in a democratic country, sovereignty belongs to the whole people, and it has sent a warning to Beijing. Understand that good information does not easily enter the perceptions of the upper echelons of authoritarian regimes, and by nature, the CCP is prone to serious miscalculations, like Russian President Vladimir Putin, CCP leader Xi Jinping may be prone to false optimism about war .

Finally, Bo Ming mentioned that this weekend is the centennial birthday of President Lee Teng-hui. Lee Teng-hui became president under an authoritarian regime 35 years ago, and later became the first directly elected president of Taiwan. The reason why it can be realized is precisely because of the perseverance, sacrifice and struggle of the people of Taiwan in the process of democratization and transformation.

Bo Ming said, whether Taiwan's democratic experiment will be short-lived, and whether American democracy can last forever, Taiwan and the United States face similar powerful enemies, and are eyeing democracy. Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran insist on expanding their autocratic empires in order to Forcing their people to live under an absurd rule, "we need to keep working hard to contain the threat from the enemy, we cannot yield, nor should we turn a blind eye to the enemy."