Talking Taiwan Ep 256 | General Yu : Former 4-Star General of Taiwan Army Shifts from KMT to Independent
I first heard about Yú Běichén (于北辰) otherwise known as “General Yu” at the Taiwanese American Conference in July where he was one of the most popular speakers. General Yu is a retired army general, and now a Taoyuan city councilor, He ran as an independent in the November 2022 elections. I was able to interview General Yu when he was in New York with translation assistance from Winston Liao. This interview would not have been possible without the help of Jacy Chen, Sue Kuo, and Winston Liao. And a very special thanks to Meiling Lin, my mother for her help not only with translation of the interview, but for her assistance with research and preparation for this episode. Related Links:
Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:
· General Yu’s upbringing and how he started his career in the military
· How Taiwan has changed militarily during his 30-something years in the military
· His thoughts on how to maintain peace for Taiwan
· If people are willing and able to defend Taiwan if attacked by China
· How China has invited Taiwanese soldiers, including General Yu to visit and has offered them favors and opportunities
· The 2013 case of Hung Chung-chiu, who was a 24-year-old military conscript who died three days before the end of his compulsory military service and how General Yu was asked to step in after this incident and make some reforms
· General Yu’s thoughts on the Sunflower Movement
· General Yu’s comments and thought on presidential candidates who have suggested another cross-strait service and trade agreement
· General Yu’s thought on the Kumointang and how it needs to change
· The importance of Taiwan having a healthy, normal democracy
· The veterans group that General Yu used be a director of
· How General Yu’s identity shifted from seeing himself as Chinese to Taiwanese