TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) reviewed troops at Taiwan Military Academy’s 100th anniversary ceremony on Sunday (June 16), marking his first military review since taking office.

According to a Presidential Office press release, the ceremony took place in Kaohsiung. Lai was joined by other high-ranking officials including Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) as well as officials from the Virginia Military Institute, per UDN.

In a speech, Lai thanked the military’s dedication to defending a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” per CNA. The president also commemorated the army’s courage in the 1958 August 23 Artillery Battle, where 587 Taiwanese soldiers on Kinmen died in a Chinese bombardment.

Lai also addressed peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which is of international concern and essential for global security and prosperity. He urged school faculty and students to recognize the challenges of the new era, particularly China’s aggressive rise and its attempts to alter the regional status quo.

Lai encouraged cadets to “understand the significance of sacrifice, unity, and responsibility, dedicate themselves to the nation and its people, and defend national sovereignty.”

The president urged the military to uphold the principles of freedom and democracy and safeguard sovereignty against any form of annexation. “We must never confuse friend and foe, nor accept defeatist notions like the ‘first battle being the last battle,’” he added.

Taiwan Military Academy, founded in 1924 in Guangzhou, China, is the official successor to Whampoa Military Academy.