Taiwan weighs extending compulsary military service beyond 4 months

Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng speaks at a rank conferral ceremony for military officials from the Army, Navy and Air Force, at the defense ministry in Taipei, Taiwan December 28, 2021. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

TAIPEI — Taiwan is considering extending compulsory military service beyond the current four months, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said on Wednesday, as the war in Ukraine renewed a discussion about how best to respond to China’s military threats.

Taiwan has been gradually shifting from a conscript military to a volunteer-dominated professional force, but China’s growing pressure against the island it claims as its own, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have prompted debate about how to boost civil defence.

Answering lawmakers’ questions in parliament, Chiu said that proposals to extend military service were still under consideration, and that there would “definitely” be a plan put forward this year.

“We must consider the enemy situation and our defensive operations in terms of military strength,” he said.

Any changes would not come into effect until a year after they are proposed, Chiu added.

Previously, governments under the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the main opposition Kuomintang had cut compulsory service from more than two years to the current four months, moves made to please younger voters as tensions eased between Taipei and Beijing.

Taiwan’s military is dwarfed by that of China’s, but strategists hope superior training could help give them the edge in a conflict. The government is also working on a program to reform reservist training.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is overseeing a broad modernisation program, championing the idea of “asymmetric warfare”, to make the island’s forces more mobile and agile.

Lee Shih-chiang, head of the ministry’s strategic planning department, speaking at the same session as Chiu, said he expected the first batch of U.S.-made MQ-9 Reaper drones, which can be armed with missiles and operate at long ranges, will enter service with Taiwan by 2025.

China has stepped up its military activities near the island in recent years, seeking to pressure Taipei to accept Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

China does not recognize Taiwan’s democratically elected government or any claims of Taiwanese sovereignty, and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under Chinese control.

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