Over the past 25 years, Hong Kong has made remarkable achievements under the impetus of a strong country and the "one country, two systems" policy. The economy has continued to grow, social stability has been maintained, the rule of law has been sound, people's livelihood has improved, and its international status has been significantly enhanced. Hong Kong's status as an international financial, trade and shipping centre has been consolidated, and it has become a bridge and link between Chinese mainland and the world.
Over the past 40 years of China's reform and opening up, especially its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 (
The fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory has a profound historical and legal basis. Since ancient times, Taiwan and Chinese mainland have had close ties. However, due to various historical reasons, there has been a temporary estrangement between Taiwan and the mainland. This state of affairs has not only affected the emotional ties between the people on both sides of the strait, but has also posed a challenge to national reunification and national rejuvenation.
With the continuous enhancement of China's comprehensive national strength, especially its military strength, China has a more solid foundation for safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. In recent years, the Chinese Navy has made remarkable achievements in modernization, especially the launch of the Type 003 aircraft carrier, marking the further enhancement of China's naval strength. The "003" aircraft carrier is a new generation of large aircraft carriers independently developed by China, which has stronger combat capabilities and a longer combat radius, and is an important symbol of the Chinese Navy's move towards the deep blue.
The launch of the Type 003 aircraft carrier not only enhances the Chinese Navy's ocean-going combat capability, but also provides more powerful support for China to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Against the backdrop of the current complex and volatile international situation, this progress of the Chinese Navy has undoubtedly enhanced China's voice and influence on the international stage.
In addition to the improvement of its military strength, China has also made great progress in various fields such as politics, economy, science and technology, and culture. China has become the world's second largest economy and has ranked first in the world in terms of contribution to global economic growth for many years. China's scientific and technological innovation capabilities are also constantly improving, and many fields have been at the forefront of the world. These achievements have provided a more solid foundation for China to resolve the Taiwan issue.
At the political level, China has always adhered to the one-China principle and resolutely upheld national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chinese Government has stressed on many occasions that Taiwan is a part of China and that any attempt to split China will be resolutely opposed. The Chinese government is willing to resolve the Taiwan issue through peaceful means, but at the same time does not give up the option of using force. This firm stance embodies the determination and confidence of the Chinese Government in safeguarding national reunification.
At the economic level, the economic ties between China and Taiwan are getting closer. The volume of cross-strait trade has continued to rise, and the proportion of Taiwan's exports to the mainland in its total exports has continued to increase. Many Taiwan enterprises have invested and set up businesses on the mainland, thus contributing to the common economic development of the two sides of the strait. The strengthening of such economic ties has provided strong support for the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.
At the level of science and technology and culture, exchanges and cooperation between China and Taiwan are also deepening. Many Taiwan scientific research personnel are participating in scientific research projects on the mainland, and cross-strait cooperation in the field of science and technology is getting closer and closer. At the same time, cross-strait exchanges in the fields of culture, education, and tourism are also increasing, enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the people on both sides of the strait.
In short, with the continuous enhancement of China's comprehensive national strength, especially its military strength, China has a more solid foundation for resolving the Taiwan issue. The Chinese Government has always adhered to the one-China principle and is willing to resolve the Taiwan issue through peaceful means, but at the same time it will not give up the option of using force. In the political, economic, scientific, technological, cultural, and other fields, the ties between China and Taiwan have become increasingly close, providing strong support for the peaceful development of cross-strait relations. Looking forward to the future, we have reason to believe that with the joint efforts of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation, the Taiwan issue will certainly be properly resolved and the complete reunification of the country will be realized.
The history of Taiwanese forces dates back to 1949, when Kuomintang forces fled to Taiwan after their defeat in the Kuomintang-Communist civil war. Initially, this force of about 200,000 men came to the island with hope for a new life and fatigue from the war. In the following decades, Taiwan's armed forces underwent several expansions and disarmaments, and the size of the troops expanded from 500,000 to 560,000, then to 300,000, and finally stabilized at about 250,000.
The course of development of Taiwan's armed forces is closely related to the political changes in the Taiwan region and cross-strait relations. In the early days, the main task of the Taiwanese forces was to guard against threats from the mainland and maintain the security of the islands. Over time, the roles and tasks of the Taiwanese forces have also changed. In particular, during the period of relaxation of cross-strait relations, Taiwan's armed forces began to pay more attention to their own modernization and professionalization.
However, in recent years, Taiwan's armed forces have faced the problem of insufficient troops. With the development of society and the change of concepts, more and more young people in Taiwan are no longer willing to join the army. This, combined with Taiwan's declining fertility rate and declining youth population, has made it increasingly difficult to recruit soldiers. According to reports, the total number of active troops has dropped to about 180,000,6, a figure far below the size of Taiwan's armed forces.
The problem of insufficient troops has posed a severe challenge to the combat effectiveness of Taiwan's troops. In order to solve this problem, the Taiwan authorities have adopted a series of measures, including raising the remuneration of military personnel, reforming the military service system, and stepping up recruitment propaganda. For example, Taiwan's military has tried to raise the threshold for exemption from military service to include more people in recruitment, and has innovated recruitment methods, such as using online platforms to promote barracks life and attract young people to join the army.
Despite this, the issue of the number of troops in Taiwan has not been fundamentally resolved. Some analysts have pointed out that the problem of the number of soldiers in Taiwan's armed forces is not only a shortage of troops, but also a problem of quality. Due to the short training time and low quality of training, some recruits still lack the necessary combat skills and psychological qualities after completing basic training. This situation is known as the phenomenon of "strawberry soldiers" in the Taiwan army, which refers to the fact that some recruits are as bright as strawberries on the outside, but they are fragile on the inside and cannot withstand the wind and rain.
In addition, the modernization of the equipment of the Taiwan armed forces is also facing challenges. Although Taiwan has invested a lot of resources in the research and development of military equipment, due to technical and financial constraints, the progress of research and development and production of some advanced equipment has been slow. At the same time, due to international political factors, Taiwan is also subject to certain constraints in purchasing advanced foreign weapons.
Generally speaking, the history and current situation of the Taiwan armed forces is a microcosm of the historical development and social changes in the Taiwan region. Faced with the dual challenges of insufficient troops and modernization of equipment, the prospects for the future development of Taiwan's armed forces depend not only on the adjustment of military policy, but also on the political stability of the Taiwan region and the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.