Taipei, Aug. 2 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Thursday during an inspection of navy and army missile units in northern Taiwan that air defense is the nation's first line of protection and the best guarantee of stability.
Accompanied by Chief of the General Staff Gen. Tang Yao-ming and Ministry of National Defense Political Warfare Department Director Gen. Teng Tzu-lin, Chen told the officers and soldiers manning the missile batteries that the key to the Republic of China's political and economic success over the past several decades lies in its "secure and stable" environment.
Without security, he said, there would be no stability. Without stability, the people would not have felt safe to carry out various nation-building projects, he added.
In modern warfare, the importance of air defense is greater than in the past, he continued, adding that whether missile forces can bring their strength into play depends on equipment availability.
Therefore, he instructed the officers and soldiers to operate and maintain their equipment in accordance with regulations in order to preserve an effective and high-availability air defense.
Chen said that the nation is building up a basic military force that is capable of meeting its self-defense needs and that Taiwan has no intention of starting an arms race with mainland China or provoking trouble.