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after taking office, taiwan's defense department chief gu lixiong announced the abolition of traditional bayonet techniques. on the 18th, he said that the troops will fully promote close combat training next year. former taiwan military retired officer zhang bozhi questioned that it is ridiculous to abolish bayonet techniques while strengthening unarmed combat, grappling, and seizing swords and guns. it is ridiculous to fight with bare hands when you can pick up weapons! netizens said, "it's 2024 and we still have close combat. do you want to build a ring?" some netizens even said that gu lixiong watched too many movies and thought he could go back to ancient times and decide the outcome with fists and feet.

gu lixiong said on the 18th that after bayonet fighting was changed to firearm combat, relevant guidelines have been revised, and new training and base tests have also cancelled traditional bayonet fighting training and testing. close combat training will be fully promoted next year.

zhang bozhi questioned that the battle requires the most economical and effective way to annihilate the enemy and win. why use a bayonet if you can shoot? similarly, why punch, kick and throw if you can stab and chop? what's funny is that some people want to abolish bayonet techniques, but they also want to strengthen hand-to-hand combat, grappling, and seizing knives and guns. it's ridiculous to fight with bare hands when you can copy weapons! as for the so-called mixed martial arts is very powerful and practical, i'm afraid it's too much! fists, feet, hands, body and steps, without strict and considerable training and actual combat training, how can they have striking power and lethality? not to mention going to the battlefield to fight. he said that according to gu lixiong's instructions, it is recommended that the taiwan defense department build and enrich the facilities and equipment of the target training site, strengthen actual combat target training, and don't make gestures to meet the story, "formalistic, empty punches, and empty exercises."

the social account "politician meme" made a meme that was very sarcastic: attention, single soldier! when you encounter a lone enemy soldier around the corner, and you have a rifle with a bayonet in your hand, how should a single soldier deal with it? a: bayonet! kill! b: smash it with the butt of the rifle! c: in short, just fire the first shot! d: it's time to show off your best bare-handed gun-grabbing skills in the camp! netizens commented: it's as stupid as a tank soldier jumping off the tank and asking for a one-on-one duel when he encounters an enemy soldier.

regarding gu lixiong's abolition of bayonet fighting, netizens said: "bayonet fighting is also a kind of fighting, it is always better to have something in your hand than bare hands", "others are developing drones, and you are fighting in close combat over there", "instead of fighting, it is better to issue an extra pistol to the infantry", "i have watched too many movies and thought that we have returned to ancient times where fists and feet decided the outcome", "combat is only needed for elite troops, and ordinary soldiers just need to concentrate on using weapons to kill the enemy", "the subtext is actually that the taiwan military does not even have enough rifles to distribute."

lin jingxian, taiwan correspondent of strait herald