Taiwan s a democratic country that does not want a war.” President Tsai Ing-Wen said at a news conference on Tuesday
Taiwan will extend the period of military service for all eligible men from four months to a year because of threats from China, President Tsai Ing-wen said during a news conference on Tuesday.
“No one wants a war,” he said. It is true that Taiwan’s government and people are part of the global community, but peace does NOT come from the sky and Taiwan is at the forefront of the expansion of authoritarianism.
Taiwan, a self-governing democracy with over 24 million people, had shortened its mandatory military service from one year to four months.
It comes as China asserts its territorial claims over Taiwan, which is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party but which the government in Beijing has never been in control of.
The main combat force, the garrison force, the civil defense system and the reservist system are the four main categories of the Taiwan military.
The main combat force will comprise professional soldiers who take on the responsibility of territorial security, while the garrison force will comprise conscripts who will protect key infrastructure inside Taiwan.
By 2035, Taiwan is expected to have 20,000 fewer births per year than the 153,820 it recorded in 2021, according to Taiwan’s National Development Council, which defense experts say will limit the ability of the military in recruiting enough young men.
Public debates about lengthening the conscription period increased sharply following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, which renewed discussions about Taiwan’s readiness for a potential attack by the Chinese military. The island began introducing longer training schedules for its reservists, and its Defense Ministry closely studied the tactics of war in Ukraine to improve battle strategy.
In a war between China and Taiwan, ground warfare will probably take place at a later stage, because Chinese soldiers are only allowed to make an amphibious landing after having control of the air and the sea.
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“So while we extend the conscription period, I think it is more important to consider how the conscripts will be incorporated into our overall defense strategy, and ensure their training is effective in achieving those objectives.”
The plan will set up Taiwan for increasing its defense capabilities, but what will happen is how well the ministry will carry out the reforms, said a defense expert at Taiwan’s Central Police University.
A poll from the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in December found that among Taiwanese adults, 73.2% said they would support a one-year military service. That support was across party lines, the survey found, spanning the Democratic Progressive Party and the more China-friendly Nationalist Party.
“This is one of the basic steps that should have been done a long time ago,” said Paul Huang, a research fellow at the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation. During the implementation period when Taiwan will have a new president, it meant that she would pass the buck to her successor, according to Huang.
In the group of young people with less than 25 years’ experience, 39.6% said they opposed extending the military service, while 38.6% said they would support an extension.
Beijing frequently uses military drills to respond to moves it sees as challenges to its claims to sovereignty. In August, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, and China responded with the largest-scale military exercises it’s held in decades, because it saw Pelosi’s visit as an official diplomatic exchange. Washington doesn’t formally recognize Taiwan as a state, but the U.S. is still the island’s largest unofficial ally.