Taiwan extends mandatory military service as China threat grows

Taiwan has taken the decision to extend the mandatory military service period from four months to one year as the threat of an invasion by China grows.

China has stated on many occasions that the island is part of the country and that the two will be reunified one day if need be by force. The threats have escalated under the current President, Xi Jinping, with the Chinese military regularly entering Taiwan’s territorial waters and air space.

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen announced the change in military conscription on Tuesday, December 27 in response to the increasing incidence of Chinese bombers flying around the island, the latest on December 26.

China has been emboldened by new ally Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however, they have been warned by NATO and the U.S. that they will defend Taiwan who they consider an ally.

The self-ruled, democratic Taiwan, which has never been formally recognised internationally as a separate country, has said that it needs to adjust its military structure in light of recent threats. It hasn’t elaborated on the changes, but it is known to be in discussion with the West over the supply of more defence systems that will enable the country to protect itself from an invasion.

The mandatory military service extension comes into operation in January 2024, with Taiwan massively outgunned by its larger neighbour from whom it split following the Chinese Civil War in 1949.

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