President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) presided over the June military officer promotion ceremony at the Presidential Office on Wednesday morning, accompanied by Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安), National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), and Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄).
During his address, President Lai congratulated Li Cheng-yi (李正義) on his promotion to major general. He highlighted Li's distinguished service record, including roles as commander of the New Taipei Military Police Unit, the 205th Military Police Command, and the Military Police Training Center. Li has made significant contributions to drug smuggling investigations and has trained numerous elite military police personnel, effectively strengthening the corps' capabilities.
The president emphasized that today's promotion represents greater future responsibilities. In facing international challenges and pandemic threats, he urged newly promoted officers to adopt new thinking in building modernized forces. He stressed that strengthening national defense capabilities remains the only path to protecting national security, encouraging officers to bring practical attitudes to their organizations and employ "subtraction thinking" to reform the military.
President Lai reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continued defense reforms, enabling the military to focus wholeheartedly on combat training duties. He also expressed gratitude to Li’s family members present at the ceremony, acknowledging their unwavering support as Li’s strongest foundation throughout his military career.