Asia-Pacific News

Taiwan military to abolish welcome hug for new recruits

Oct 23, 2007, 5:15 GMT

Taipei - The Taiwan military said on Tuesday that it will replace the newly-introduced welcome hug for new recruits with a handshake because some soldiers are too shy to be hugged. 'The welcome hug launched on October 1st was to let the squad leader to welcome new recruits with a hug, to nurture trust and unity. But as some soldiers are shy or feel uncomfortable, we will replace it with a welcome handshake,' the Defence Ministry said in a news release. However, Cheng Shu-hua, head of the National Defence University's Psychology Department, supports giving welcome hugs to new recruits because human beings are born with the need to be hugged. 'Taiwanese are not used to hugging others or being hugged because of cultural differences. We can launch it gradually by creating a relaxed atmosphere and by starting with a handshake,' Professor Cheng said in her message posted on the Defence Ministry website. Learning to hug people and be hugged is important not only because it is good for health, but also because it is an international greeting, she added. Chinese are traditionally shy and avoid intimate physical contacts with strangers. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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