TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) inspected a Navy ship, an Air Force base, and Stinger missiles in the Taiwan Strait county of Penghu on Friday (Sept. 6).
The visit was timed as a morale booster for troops unable to return home for the Sept. 17 Mid-Autumn Festival. The president flew from Taipei to Penghu’s capital of Makung in the company of Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄), per Radio Taiwan International.
At the airport, Lai inspected an Air Force unit and its Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) jets. At the Army’s Penghu Defense Command, he witnessed a demonstration of American-made Stinger missile systems by an aerial defense unit.
The third part of his tour included boarding the 146th Fleet’s Cheng Kung-class guided missile frigate, the Cheng Ho. He used the ship’s public address system to thank the soldiers for their contribution to the nation’s security during the holidays.
