TAIPEI (TVBS News) — With the 9-in-1 elections around the corner, many have questioned the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's reasoning for bringing up the issue of extending the military service.
Some have speculated that it is the result of pressure from the United States government. Taiwan media remarked that U.S. delegations made more frequent visits to Taiwan in the past year.
The U.S. representatives have likely made it clear on multiple occasions that Taiwan's compulsory military service is not long enough, reports said.
Taiwan's current military service system follows the "parallel recruitment" model. In addition to recruiting full-time volunteer soldiers, it maintains a 4-month compulsory military training system for all Taiwanese men over the age of 18.
Liao Tien-wei, research fellow at the Chinese Association of Asia-Pacific Security Governance, said: "the continuous decline of the service period will have an impact on the overall combat power and the quality of the army."
As Taiwan is regarded by many as one of the "most unstable spots" at the moment, a change to the current conscription is inevitable and needs to happen soon.
Whether it is four months, one year, or even longer, the government is likely to announce the extension after the 9-in-1 elections.
The most important task at hand is still to avoid any conflict or likelihood of military conflict and encourage communications across the Taiwan Strait, as a war is not something Taiwan, mainland China, or the U.S. would like to see or partake in.
