Bilingual text here: https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/news/2026501W09EA?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description
雙語文字版: https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/news/2026501W09EA?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description

Our official website: ➔ https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/

Follow us on
Facebook: ➔ https://www.facebook.com/ftvformosanews
X (Twitter): ➔ https://x.com/FTV_Taiwan_News
Aerospace Industrial Development Corp chairman Tsao Chin-ping recently gave an exclusive interview on News Observation discussing Taiwan’s domestic flight program. A former air force pilot, Tsao said that when he was serving as Taiwan’s military representative in France, a scandal erupted triggering a diplomatic crisis. He managed to keep communication going by taking the same early trains as French military officers, where he staged chance encounters and exchanged military intelligence.

With over 40 years of experience as a pilot and instructor, the chairman of Aerospace Industrial Development Corp, Tsao Chin-ping, has had an impressive, meaningful career.

Tsao Chin-ping
AIDC chairman
Chief Shen Yi-ming gathered everyone together and gave us an important message before we left for France for training. The last air force group that went to France was led by Gao Zhihang. Many years had passed since the last exchange between our two countries, so we had to succeed. Failure was not an option. There was no turning back.

Former chief of general staff Shen ingrained an important principle in Tsao: Failure is not an option.

Tsao Chin-ping
AIDC chairman
One day we were flying a two-seater—he was in the front, and I was in the back. We were assigned a low-altitude mission in the mountains along the Xiugulan River. The scenery was beautiful, but the valley twists and turns and is difficult to fly through. During such a complex mission, he remained calm, telling me what to do in each moment. He was teaching me that when we serve as flight leaders, our greatest achievement is that our subordinates can complete the mission even when they have no clear understanding of the situation.

When Tsao was serving as a military representative in France, the Lafayette scandal broke out, severing military exchanges. But he found a way forward.

Tsao Chin-ping
AIDC chairman
At 2 or 3 in the morning I arrived in the office and completed all the work I had to do that day. Around 5am when the trains started running, I went to stations close to where French military officers lived, gathering information about what trains they took. I arranged chance encounters, using train rides as opportunities to exchange intelligence.

Shen gave Tsao courage during these deliberate “chance encounters” that went on for six months. Then on Jan. 2, 2020, they were both on board a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed in New Taipei. Shen and seven others on board tragically lost their lives.

Tsao Chin-ping
AIDC chairman
I visited him early in the morning on the anniversary of his death, when no one else was around. I had time to have a heartfelt conversation with him, letting him know that thanks to his guidance, the air force was continuing to grow strong.

Tsao has gone from soaring in the skies to leading AIDC. He keeps General Shen’s legacy alive as he continues to safeguard Taiwan.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#TsaoChinping #ShenYiming #airforce #general #pilot #diplomat #France #military #exchange #AIDC

#台灣新聞 #TaiwanNews #民視新聞 #FTV新聞 #Taiwan