DEFENSE/Focus on defense cited for dropping of live-fire Han Kuang drills on Taiwan

Taipei, June 26 (CNA) Troops on the island of Taiwan will not fire live ammunition during this year's Han Kuang exercises to concentrate instead on defensive plans, according to Chief of the General Staff Admiral Mei Chia-shu (梅家樹).

However, troops stationed on offshore islands will conduct live-round drills during the exercises, scheduled to take place across Taiwan from July 22 to 26, Mei, Taiwan's top military official, told a Legislative session in Taipei Wednesday.

Addressing the same session, Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said troops will get to practice firing live ammunition at additional exercises scheduled for the year.

Asked by opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Huang Jen (黃仁) on why the ministry has canceled live-round shootings during this year's Han Kuang in Taiwan, Mei said the main purpose this year is to allow combined arms brigades to focus on familiarizing the environment they will be defending should a war breaks out and practice their defensive plans.

Using live ammunition may lead to injuries given that, in order to simulate real-life battlefield conditions, the drills will be unrehearsed, Mei said.

In light of such dangers, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) decided to cancel most of this year's live-fire exercises, Mei added.

Koo, meanwhile, said this year the ministry has canceled most live-fire exercises that are "put up for a show or demonstration purpose only."

Earlier this week, a defense ministry source told CNA that unlike in previous editions of Han Kuang, fewer of this year's live-fire exercises will be open to the media.

Previously, the military allowed media access to parts of the live-fire exercises and invited senior government officials, including the president, to oversee them.

The purpose of this practice was to keep the public informed about the latest developments in Taiwan's armed forces and to assure them that the troops are capable of defending the nation.

However, according to the source, this practice serves little practical purpose in terms of war preparation, beyond being a display for the media.

This year, the military will focus on rigorously testing the troops by simulating a variety of scenarios that could occur if a cross-strait war breaks out, all without prior warning, to serve as actual tests of armed forces' emergency response capabilities, the source added.

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Wednesday's legislative session marked the first time that a chief of the general staff fielded questions at the Legislative Yuan since Mei's predecessor Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明) did so in 1999.

During Tang's time as chief of staff, he held relatively more power over the country's armed forces, with responsibility over everything from staffing to budget and command.

After the National Defense Act and the Organization Act of the Ministry of National Defense were promulgated in January 2000, however, these tasks are the responsibilities of the defense minister, with the chief of the general staff serving more as an executor.

The acts also bar active-duty members of the armed forces from concurrently serving as defense minister.

Explaining why Mei would field questions during Wednesday's session, Koo told reporters that his ministry has studied Constitutional Court Interpretation No. 461 issued in July 1998, which stipulates that a chief of the general staff should take questions at the Legislative Yuan if a Legislative committee invites him or her.

Koo said he and the chief of general staff attended the session as Mei had received an invitation from the Foreign and National Defense Committee.

Mei, meanwhile, told reporters on the sideline of the session that he believes it is his duty to explain all nonconfidential military information to the public and media in accordance with related laws.

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