In response to increased military pressure from China, Taiwan will be extending its compulsory military service from its current duration of four months to one year, starting in 2024, President Tsai Ing-wen announced at a press briefing on December 27, 2022.
Expressing concern that China’s intimidation and threats against Taiwan are becoming more evident, President Tsai said that Taiwan’s current military system, including training reservists, is insufficient to effectively deal with China’s increasing military threat, especially in the event of a swift attack on the island.
Conscripts would be responsible for protecting important infrastructure, freeing up regular military personnel to respond more quickly in the event of a potential invasion by China, according to a statement made by the defense ministry during the same press conference.
Conscripts will undergo more intense training, including shooting exercises, combat instruction used by American forces, and operating more powerful weapons including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank missiles, said President Tsai.
According to Chieh Chung, a researcher at the National Policy Foundation, a Taipei-based think tank, the extension of military service could add an additional 60,000 to 70,000 personnel annually to the current 165,000-strong professional force by 2027 and beyond, reported Al Jazeera.
On December 26, 2022, Taiwan officials reported the largest-ever Chinese air force incursion into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, with 43 Chinese planes crossing the median line in the Taiwan Strait
Note that Two days after China conducted “strike drills” in the sea and airspace surrounding Taiwan, President Tsai announced the decision to extend military service. On December 26, 2022, Taiwan officials reported the largest-ever Chinese air force incursion into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, with 43 Chinese planes crossing the median line in the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial buffer between the two sides. This escalation of military activity by China has likely contributed to concerns about Taiwan’s current military readiness and capacity to defend against potential threats.
On December 24, 2022, China criticized the United States for its new defense spending bill (passed by the US Congress on December 15, 2022) which includes military support for Taiwan and has been perceived by China as amplifying a “China threat” narrative, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry. The ministry argued that the defense bill “severely affects peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
However, Taiwan welcomed the legislation, stating that it demonstrated the United States’ support for the self-governing island, which China asserts must come under its rule.
In the past, mandatory military service was widely disliked in Taiwan. As a result, previous governments, including those led by both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the main opposition Kuomintang, shortened the required period of service for men from over two years to just four months in order to appeal to younger voters. This decision was made during a time when tensions between Taipei and Beijing had lessened.
As relations between China and Taiwan have become increasingly strained, a Foundation for the People poll revealed that more than 65% of Taiwanese people support extending compulsory military service to one year. This poll result was released on August 9, 2022. Taiwan-based Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang is chairman of the foundation.
China held nearly a week of military showdown around Taiwan following a visit to the self-governing island by Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi in the first week of August 2022.
