President of the Republic of China, Tsai Ing-wen, attended the commissioning ceremony of the “NCS Dan-Jiang” frigate in Kaohsiung today, stating that the official entry into service of the Dan-Jiang marks the achievement of the goal of “National Ship, National Made”. She emphasized the commitment to continue enhancing national defense autonomy in order to achieve peace. By the end of this year, it is expected that all 12 warships will be commissioned, shouldering the responsibility of defending the sea borders and national security.
Upon arrival, President Tsai was greeted with a grand military ceremony featuring a 21-gun salute. The ceremony then commenced with the announcement of the commissioning of the “NCS Dan-Jiang” frigate, followed by the flag presentation, seal bestowal, ship model presentation, and troop review.
Attending the event today were Secretary-General of the National Security Council David T. Lee, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng, NSC Adviser Dennis Liu, Deputy Secretary-General Ken Lee, Navy Commander Chiang Cheng-kun, Fleet Commander Qiu Jun-rong, Captain of the Dan-Jiang frigate Hu Zhi-hong, and Chairman of Lung Teh Shipbuilding Huang Shou-chen.
In her speech, President Tsai expressed her honor in presiding over the commissioning ceremony of the “NCS Dan-Jiang” frigate and conveyed the nation’s gratitude to the Minister of National Defense, the Navy Commander, the entire Navy personnel, the R&D team, the shipbuilding team, and all industries involved for overcoming obstacles. She stressed that the official commissioning of the Dan-Jiang not only symbolizes the achievement of the “National Ship, Nation-Made” goal but also the dedication to safeguarding maritime borders and national security.
President Tsai highlighted the significance of the three warships docked before them, as a testament to the process of building the Tuo Jiang-class frigates. From the completion of the Tuo Jiang prototype vessel design verification to the successive commissioning of the first batch of mass-produced ships led by the Ta Chiang frigate, and now the Dan-Jiang frigate as the first ship of the second batch of mass-produced ships, with a total of 12 vessels scheduled for delivery by the end of this year, all working together to protect the sea borders and safeguard the nation’s security. She pointed out three important implications of the Dan-Jiang frigate’s official commissioning.
Firstly, the achievement of the “National Ship, Nation-Made” goal enables autonomous research, development, design, construction, and system integration tailored to the defense needs in the Taiwan Strait, ensuring operational advantages under any wartime circumstances.
Secondly, it signifies the Navy’s unwavering commitment to defending the sea borders and protecting the nation. Confronted with the growing threat from the Chinese Communist Party, whether militarily or in the encroachment of the maritime gray zone, the Navy, with the belief and achievements of the Tuo Jiang-class frigates, stands firm in showing the resolve of unity among Navy personnel in protecting the maritime boundaries and ensuring national security.
Furthermore, it is a testament to Taiwan’s national security policy of exerting deterrent power through strength to achieve the goal of peace.
President Tsai emphasized that peace is invaluable, there are no winners in war, and peace cannot be achieved merely through a peace agreement or by accepting the claims of aggressors. Taiwan firmly believes in achieving peace through strength. Over the decades of building up military strength, the Taiwanese military has always held onto this goal, hoping for the support of the people and calling on the Legislative Yuan to unite across party lines in support.
“In order to achieve peace through strength and let power serve as a deterrent,” she emphasized that the budget previously allocated by the Ministry of National Defense for an 8-year period totaling 1.25 trillion New Taiwan dollars (NTD), unfortunately was not fully approved by the Legislative Yuan, resulting in the removal of 470 billion NTD, including budgets related to national defense autonomy, international cooperation, commissioned developments, and drone development.
President Tsai stressed that strengthening national defense capabilities, engaging in military procurement abroad, and international cooperation are important, but national defense autonomy is of paramount importance.
She stated that therefore, progressing toward this goal through the national development of ships, aircraft, and drones is crucial, and urged the Legislative Yuan to support the special budget proposed by the Ministry of National Defense. The MoND is the organizing and demanding unit and should not delegate the responsibility to other ministries. The budget should also be used specifically to promote national defense construction for the long term and to stably advance military development. She hopes for the support of the people and the Legislative Yuan.
President Tsai pointed out that with the official commissioning of the “NCS Dan-Jiang” frigate today, she expects the crew, from the captain to every brother in arms, to be well-prepared through training in times of peace so that they can leverage their combat capabilities when necessary to protect maritime borders, safeguard national security, and ensure the safety of the people and their properties nationwide. The Taiwan military has a great tradition, and she called for everyone to fully utilize their abilities.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of direct presidential elections. President Tsai said that 30 years ago, in 1996, the Taiwanese military stood on the frontlines to uphold national security, allowing the people to bravely enter polling stations without fear and complete the first direct presidential election, establishing Taiwan as a democratic nation and demonstrating to the international community that the Taiwanese people are the masters of their country, with destiny in their own hands and not to be manipulated by others.
President Tsai mentioned that this year also marks the 39th year since the lifting of martial law, reflecting on Taiwan’s history enduring one of the world’s longest martial law periods lasting 38 years, during which people lacked freedom, human rights, and even faced persecution. However, through democratic movements and the support of the entire nation, the martial law was finally lifted through the power of the people.
She noted that this year coincides with the 39th year since the lifting of martial law and marks the first year that democracy has been in place longer than the period of martial law, holding significant value. Thus, during the commissioning of the “NCS Dan-Jiang” frigate, she highlighted that every military branch and each brother in arms in the Taiwanese military have always stood on the frontline to defend national security and uphold democracy when the nation needed them.
At this critical moment, President Tsai also called for unity among the Army, Navy, and Air Force to uphold the outstanding tradition of military development and preparedness to ensure that the people can continue to enjoy a life of democracy, freedom, and human rights, and sustain the flourishing of the economy. Finally, she expressed gratitude on behalf of the Taiwanese people for everyone’s hard work, saying, “Let’s work together and keep going.”
She then presented bonuses as a token of appreciation for the hard work of the military personnel, and boarded the “NCS Dan-Jiang” frigate for inspection, including observing the dynamic showcase of missile speedboats on the foredeck.