As Taiwan's commander-in-chief, President Chen Shui-bian on June 22 inspected the garrison force in Kinmen, one of Taiwan's small offshore islands guarding Taiwan's forefront from China.
When speaking to the members of the troop, the president reiterated to them that the military should only pledge to the country itself.
To consolidate Taiwan's democracy, the military should never get involved in any political contention, he strongly emphasized.
The president also took this opportunity to call on the opposition to seriously consider the importance and urgency of Taiwan's arms procurement bill, which is still being stranded in the legislature. "It's worth noting that even our diplomatic allies are questioning the wisdom of the opposition parties for not caring for our country's national defense," he said.
Associating the arms procurement bill with peace other than wars, he added that Taiwan's national security will ensure the stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The president had planned to visit Kinmen earlier, but due to inclement weather conditions last week, that previous schedule was cancelled.