Taiwan will increase compulsory military service to one year as against the earlier term of four months in 2024 because of the growing threat posed by the Asian giant and its neighbor China, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday.
The decision comes as China tries to put more pressure on Taiwan militarily, diplomatically, and economically to impose its sovereignty claims, including the frequent Chinese air force missions close to the island in the past three years.
Taiwan commits to peace
The president said the democratically governed island nation wanted peace but has the urgency of defending itself.
“As long as Taiwan is strong enough, it will be the home of democracy and freedom all over the world, and it will not become a battlefield,” Tsai said in a news conference telling the decision to increase the conscription period, which she described as “incredibly difficult”.
The current military system, including training reservists, is inefficient and insufficient to tackle China’s growing military danger, especially in the case where it may launch a rapid attack on Taiwan, Tsai added.
“Taiwan wants to tell the world that between democracy and dictatorship, we firmly believe in democracy. Between war and peace, we insist on peace. Let us show the courage and determination to protect our homeland and defend democracy,” he said.
Newly recruits will take more intense training, including shooting exercises, combat instruction used by US forces, and operating more powerful weapons including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank missiles, Tsai said.
Taiwan has criticized the delay in US weapons deliveries this year, including Stingers, but Tsai updated the information by saying that the United States has improved on this after deliberations with the island nation.
Tsai’s security team, which includes high-level officials from the defense ministry and the National Security Council, has been assessing Taiwan’s military system since 2020.
With 43 Chinese planes crossing an unofficial line between the two sides on Monday, Taipei, which rejects Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, recorded the largest-ever Chinese air force intrusion into the island’s air defense identification zone.
Taiwan’s government asserts that only Taiwanese people have the right to make decisions about their future.
“China’s various unilateral behaviors have become a major concern for regional security,” said an official.
