Taiwan will extend the period of mandatory military service for all eligible men from four months to a year amid rising threats from China, President Tsai Ing-wen said at a news conference in Taipe…
Four months of mandatory military training can “no longer suit the needs” of Taiwan’s defense, she said, adding that while extending the service period was a “difficult decision,” it was necessary for safeguarding the island’s democratic way of life.
The new conscription period, which be implemented at the start of 2024, will apply to men born after 2005, she said.shortened mandatory conscriptionIt comes as China increasingly asserts its territorial claims over Taiwan, which the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing has never controlled, including sending 47 aircraft across the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Sunday — its largest incursion into the island’s air defense zone in recent months.
“Maintaining peace is reliant on national defense, and national defense relies on every citizen,” she said. “The United States will continue to support a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues, and oppose any unilateral changes in the status quo by either side,” the spokesperson added.Tsai on Tuesday also announced a series of reforms to Taiwan’s military structure, including dividing forces into four main categories: the main combat force, garrison force, civil defense system and reservist system.
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.
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