Former National Security Director Li Xiangzhou releases new book; Xiao Wanchang, Wang Jinping, and Ding Yuzhou gather to deliver speeches

Ambassador Li Xiangzhou, former army commander, director of national security and representative to Denmark, has a new book "Politics." "Wang Wang: Fifty Years on the Frontline, from National Security Decision-making to National Reflections on the World Scene" was held in Taipei today (6th) at a press conference. He emphasized that "Taiwan's security is not 'given' by others, but created by ourselves."

Li Xiangzhou's new book was released today. Former Vice President Xiao Wanchang, former Legislative Yuan Wang Jinping, and former National Security Council Secretary-General Ding Yuzhou all attended the speech in person; Taichung Mayor Lu Xiuyan also delivered a speech through a pre-recorded video.

After 50 years of public service, Li Xiangzhou moved from the military frontline to the core of national security decision-making. He was then stationed in Denmark to observe the international situation from the diplomatic scene. In the conversation, he pointed out that "if the government has love, the people will have hope" is the starting point of this book. Whether the government can keep the well-being of the people in mind is related to the people's trust in the system and their hope for the future; whether the people are willing to participate in public affairs and assume civic responsibilities also affects whether the country can continue to move forward.

Li Xiangzhou also said that his experience while stationed in Denmark made him realize that for a country facing external challenges, security is not only based on national defense strength, but is also closely related to internal governance, social resilience and people's trust in the system. He hopes that this book will become a starting point for intergenerational dialogue, allowing different generations to hear each other's problems and jointly think about Taiwan's future direction.

Xiao Wanchang said in his speech that the retired general did not consider votes or the baggage of a political party when writing a book. He wrote about what he truly believed. He pointed out that stability requires long-term hard work, but the logic of politics is often short-term votes. It is difficult for a government with a four-year term to invest in stability ten years from now. The non-party consensus mechanism proposed in the book is one of the most pragmatic solutions he has read, so that national defense, diplomacy and major construction will not change due to the rotation of political parties. "This is not a utopia, this is the basic operation method of a mature democratic country, and Taiwan needs to learn this."

Wang Jinping said that since "Sun Tzu's Art of War" was written, there have been only a handful of specialized military works at home and abroad. In Taiwan, after retired Navy Admiral Li Ximing published "Taiwan's Chance of Winning" in 2022, it will be Li Xiangzhou's masterpiece. He observed from the perspective of the Legislative Yuan that Lee Sang-joo is good at using the defense budget, faithfully implements defense regulations, and specializes in missiles, telecommunications, intelligence and national security. All four presidents have entrusted him with important responsibilities.

Ding Yuzhou pointed out that from the Russia-Ukraine war to the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, drones have played a considerable role in the battlefield. The United States and China are also actively studying the role of AI in future wars, and the shape of war has begun to change. He affirmed that the government's substantial increase in the national defense budget and the establishment of a society-wide defense resilience committee in the presidential palace will help national defense construction. However, he also called on the government and the national army to conduct in-depth research on the new form of war and establish correct military building goals. Only then can they determine what kind of weapons and equipment are needed and use the limited defense budget on the edge.

Lu Xiuyan emphasized through the video that true peace will not fall from the sky, "peace is achieved through governance." She said, "Political. "Hope" not only talks about opinions, but also prompts everyone to think about what kind of future Taiwan is heading for.