TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The newly appointed Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council (NSC) Liu Te-chin (劉得金) has said Taiwan needs to be prepared for a Chinese invasion, but the communist regime risks collapse before taking the democratically-governed nation.
The Presidential Office announced on Thursday (Feb. 9) the appointment of the retired lieutenant general and senior national security research fellow as deputy chief to the country's top advisory body, which coordinates national security, military and foreign policies.
Born in Hsinchu, Liu is a graduate of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Military Academy. He received training at multiple prestigious institutions in the U.S., including the Army Infantry School, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and Harvard Kennedy School.
Liu once served as the principal of Taiwan’s Military Academy, as well as the commander of the Eighth Army Corps, according to the defense ministry. Given his previous experience and his familiarity with carrying out combat exercises and intelligence analysis, his abilities make him the perfect candidate for the position, the Presidential Office said.
Liu is also known as an amateur writer who pens novels and prose under the pseudonym Jing Ge (金戈).
In an interview with Hakka News on Thursday (Feb. 9), Liu shared his views on cross-strait relations and Taiwan's strategic importance to the world. He supports efficient military training during mandatory military service to boost the country's military readiness.
"The training has to be mission-oriented, and the training that is irrelevant to the mission has to be terminated," he said.
Asked about the China threat, Liu said it is there and all we can do is prepare ourselves for the worst and strengthen resilience. On the other hand, he added, the war against Taiwan would come at a cost to the communist regime due to internal power struggles and the many problems that face the party.
"It is easy for China to start a war but it is more likely that the party risks collapsing before taking Taiwan," Liu commented.
