Speaking at the "Han Kuang 22" military exercise held in Yilan County on July 20, President Chen Shui-bian said that the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and in the Asian Pacific region can only be guaranteed if Taiwan maintains sufficient capacity to defend itself.
"The pending arms procurement package is crucial to upgrading of Taiwan's defense capability," he said, wishing that the Legislature will review and pass related budget bills as soon as possible.
The "Han Kuang 22" maneuver had a larger scale and mobilized a greater number of personnel than ever. In the drill, the "Patriot anti-missile" missile was launched for the first time to demonstrate the "offensive-defensive" tactics of the armed forces, said the president.
Together with Vice President Annette Lu, the president wished all the maneuver participants health and great success at the end of the exercise.