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[Text/Observer.com Wang Shichun] According to Taiwan media reports, on the second day of the "Han Kuang" exercise, Taiwan leader Lai Qingde went to the "Hualien" Air Force Base in eastern Taiwan on the 23rd to inspect the "Han Kuang" exercise. However, this inspection caused controversy.

The Taiwan military originally canceled its fighter jet flight activities due to the impact of Typhoon Kemi, but during Lai Qingde's inspection, two fighter jets were temporarily scheduled.F-16The fighter jets took off urgently during the drill, and waited at the head of the runway for more than 40 minutes with their engines running, waiting for Lai Ching-te to inspect them. This caused the media and the outside world to question whether the "Taiwanese military was performing a show specially arranged for Lai Ching-te."

According to the report, on July 23, the second day of the Han Kuang exercise, according to the practice of previous years, the Taiwan military's various combat zones and defense headquarters should conduct "key infrastructure protection, overall air defense operations" and other subjects in the actual military exercise. However, under the influence of Typhoon Kemi, the Taiwan military announced that the main fighter jet exercises originally scheduled in the early morning were cancelled because the weather did not meet the take-off and landing standards, and only the ground exercises continued. In response, Hualien residents said that the whole morningfighterAlways quiet.

But the rain had just eased in the morning, and Lai Qingde's plane landed before 9 o'clock. Later, when Lai Qingde and his entourage turned to Jiashan Base for inspection, three F-16 fighters carrying AIM-9 "Sidewinder" training bombs and auxiliary fuel tanks suddenly slid out, causing the media on the scene and even the aviation fans waiting outside the airport to question whether these fighters were "specially prepared to fly for Lai Qingde to see."

However, when the three fighters arrived at the security check area at the head of the runway, they did not shut down and waited for nearly 40 minutes. It was not until Lai Qingde's motorcade was about to arrive at the "mass casualty triage and evacuation" exercise hangar that two of the fighters accelerated and took off. This made all parties question whether the fighters were waiting for Lai Qingde and wasted 40 minutes on the ground.

In response to outside doubts, the Air Force explained that this "overall air defense and sea and air electronic warfare" subject was a temporary order from the command center. Why did the fighter plane wait at the head of the runway for 40 minutes? Officials explained that it might be because other subjects were being carried out in the air or it was affected by weather factors.

Of course, no matter how the outside world questions it, the Taiwan Air Force's 5th Tactical Fighter Wing deployed at the Hualien base will not have to fly in the next few days. Lai Qingde presented the Taiwan military with extra food money and left the Hualien base on a special plane at 11 a.m.

Taiwan’s defense department also issued an instruction on the 24th stating that subsequent "Han Guang" exercises will be changed to sand table and war game simulations, and all units of the Taiwan military will speed up the organization of disaster prevention forces and the preparation of mobile equipment, take the initiative to contact local areas, and be on standby to participate in disaster relief at any time.

The Chief of the General Staff of the Taiwan military also authorized the commanders of each combat zone on the 24th to conduct exercises and disaster relief missions in parallel if a general disaster occurs in a single county or city; if the disaster area exceeds 2 (inclusive) counties or cities, and has caused casualties or immediate threats, and the Taiwan military must fully devote itself to disaster relief, the combat zone will terminate the exercise and immediately switch to assisting local disaster relief missions.

The Ministry of National Defense has responded to Taiwan's annual "Han Kuang" series of exercises many times. The Ministry of National Defense spokesman Wu Qian said that the DPP authorities' attempt to "use force to seek independence" will only exacerbate the tension in the Taiwan Strait and harm the safety and well-being of the Taiwanese people. "Han Kuang military exercises" are always dead ends, and "using force to seek independence" is doomed to fail.

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