Lai Qingde (right) appointed Gu Lixiong (left) as the head of the Taiwan defense competent department. (Picture source: Taiwan's "Zhongshi News Network")
On April 25, Lai Qingde, the elected leader of Taiwan, announced the last wave of personnel appointments. The high-profile head of Taiwan's defense department was transferred from Gu Lixiong, Secretary General of Taiwan's security department.
At present, the situation across the Taiwan Straits is tense, and how to ease the tension is an important task for the head of Taiwan's defense department. Gu Lixiong's promotion has caused widespread concern in the island. According to the poll, nearly 90% of Taiwan's netizens are not optimistic about it.
Gu Lixiong is one of the most radical "Taiwan independence" elements of the Democratic Progressive Party. He is included in the list of "Taiwan independence" die hards on the mainland, and has a strong ideological imprint. He once served as the defense lawyer of Chen Shuibian's corruption case, and was the first so-called "chairman of the party property committee" of the DPP authorities, responsible for copying the party property of the Chinese Kuomintang, known as the "blue" pioneer. Although he does not have professional ability, he has won the trust of Tsai Ing wen, and has made great progress all the way. He has successively served as the head of Taiwan's financial supervision and regulation department, the secretary general of Taiwan's security department and other important positions.
Today, Gu Lixiong, a stubborn "Taiwan independence" activist, has been put in high position by Lai Qingde, the "Taiwan independence golden grandson", and has become the head of the Taiwan defense department. This "independence plus independence" combination does not see Lai Qingde's so-called goodwill to ease cross-strait relations, but is full of provocative meaning, which will only further aggravate the danger of war across the Taiwan Straits and increase the possibility of cross-strait fire.
Gu Lixiong was born as a scholar, and did not have military background and quality. Lai Qingde arranged him to take on this important task, obviously with political purpose.
It is reported that Gu Lixiong's appointment will be the first time that DPP politicians directly control the military power. Gu Lixiong, who has a distinctive "Taiwan independence" color, is bound to continue to manipulate ideology, strive for the loyalty of the Taiwan army with strong blue camp color to the ruling line of the Democratic Progressive Party, and accelerate the "de sinicization" of the Taiwan army.
In addition, the military linkage between the United States and Taiwan has continued to exacerbate cross-strait tensions. It is reported that since Gu Lixiong became the Secretary General of the Taiwan Security Department in May 2020, the United States has sold arms to Taiwan as many as 20 times, four times more than Tsai Ing wen's first term of office, which was only five times more. In 2022 and 2023, Gu Lixiong also led a team to participate in the so-called "Taiwan US defense and security affairs summit" for two consecutive years, and kept close contact with the US side.
Therefore, after taking office, Gu Lixiong will focus on communication with the United States, and implement Lai Qingde's will to buy American troops. Gu Lixiong has always been highly cooperative with the United States. It can be predicted that the Democratic Progressive Party authorities will be more unscrupulous in the purchase of American troops, and the hard-earned money of Taiwan's people will be more wasted on weapons.
"If there is a war between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, will the US army send troops to help Taiwan?" It has always been a question in the minds of all walks of life on the island. The truth is not optimistic, and "Taiwan independence" politicians know this. Ma Ying jeou, the former leader of Taiwan, recently warned that Taiwan is not Israel and the United States will not support Taiwan unreservedly.
Taiwan's security depends on the peaceful development of cross-strait relations. It is tantamount to a praying mantis to accumulate weapons eliminated by the United States alone. It is even more impossible to rely on the bragging and speculation of "Taiwan independence" politicians. "Taiwan independence" is incompatible with peace in the Taiwan Straits. It is a dead end. "Seeking independence by force" is doomed to failure. The PLA will continue to train its troops and prepare for war, and resolutely fight against "independence" to promote reunification, which will defeat all separatist attempts. If the "Taiwan independence" forces dare to advance boldly, they will be hit head-on. (Wen/Wang Dongnan)
