Taipei: Taiwan officials on Thursday voiced support for a legislative draft amendment to expand regulations governing the behavior of retired military officers, after a retired navy officer's remarks about China were deemed by the government to have harmed the nation's dignity.According to Focus Taiwan, the draft amendment was proposed following "inappropriate" remarks made by retired lieutenant commander Lu Li-shih while attending the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China). Yen De-fa, head of Taiwan's Veterans Affairs Council, mentioned this before attending a legislative committee meeting earlier Thursday.Lu's remarks severely damaged the dignity of the nation and undermined the core value of the military-being loyal to the country and its people, Yen said, noting that such behavior should be condemned. Yen expressed personal support for any amendments to the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (Cross-Strait Act) aimed at protecting national security and dignity.When participating in Airshow China, held in the Chinese city of Zhuhai earlier this month where Chinese warplanes and weapons were showcased, Lu stated in an interview with Chinese media that he wanted to tell the Taiwanese audience "how strong our China is." In response, ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Chiu Chih-wei proposed an amendment to the Cross-Strait Act to expand existing restrictions so they cover more ranks of former officers, targeting retired officers ranked major (Army and Air Force) or lieutenant commander (Navy) and above who receive lifetime pensions.Currently, the Cross-Strait Act only applies to the ranks of major general (Army and Air Force) or rear admiral (Navy) and above. Since Lu retired at a lower rank, penalties such as revoking his monthly pension or canceling his medals and awards do not apply, as noted by the Ministry of National Defense. The draft amendment, co-signed on Nov. 15 and submitted to the Legislative Y uan's Conference Department, stipulates that if the actions of those specifically ranked retired officers harm the nation's dignity, their monthly pensions should be suspended based on the severity of their behavior.Later on Thursday, Liang Wen-chieh, deputy head and spokesperson of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top government agency handling cross-strait affairs, also expressed support for the draft amendment. At a news conference, Liang said the MAC has observed calls from various sectors to amend the Cross-Strait Act, and believes this is an issue that "needs to be addressed."Addressing concerns about balancing restrictions with freedom of speech, Liang noted that while the law cannot comprehensively regulate all words and actions, some boundaries are fundamentally rooted in "basic morality and conscience." He emphasized the importance of cherishing Taiwan's democracy and freedom while avoiding using free speech as a means to undermine freedom itself.Hung Mong-kai, a legislator from th e opposition Kuomintang (KMT), criticized the DPP government on a political commentary program aired on Nov. 17 by Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS for not tolerating differing opinions in a country that values freedom of speech. He added that Lu should take responsibility for his remarks, and expressed hope that such statements would not come from retired military officers. The KMT and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) have a combined 60 seats in Taiwan's 113-seat Legislature, and support from at least one of these parties is necessary for the proposed amendments to become law. As of press time, neither party had issued an official statement on the issue.