Image source: topwar.ru
Taiwan must extend compulsory military service from four months to at least one year. This was stated to lawmakers on Wednesday by a senior official of the island's defense ministry. In his opinion, this is necessary in order to better prepare the country's citizens for a possible war with neighboring China.
Defense Minister Chiu Guo-cheng told reporters.
Discussions on a legislative decision that is so difficult for Taiwan are continuing, he said, noting that postponing the announcement of this decision for the new year will inevitably postpone its implementation for another 12 months - until the beginning of 2025.
Taiwanese media report that the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen may make a statement on increasing the service life as early as December 22, 2022. The decision will extend military service to 12 months for conscripts born after 2006.
Under Tsai Ing-wen's predecessor, as part of the island's transition to a fully volunteer force and a contract army, conscription service was reduced to four months. Currently, 165,000 contract servicemen and approximately 20,000 conscripts serve in the armed forces of Taiwan.
The four-month period, which began in 2013, was introduced during the reduction of tensions in the Taiwan Strait. However, Tsai and her anti-unification party have called for a review of this policy since they came to power in 2016. Now, it seems, such a revision will take place.
