Skip to content
Politics

Taiwan to Make Military Service Extension Announcement This Year

  • Four months of service ‘not enough,’ says Defense Minister
  • Island is trying to bolster combat readiness against China
Soldiers at a beach during a military exercise in Miaoli, Taiwan.

Soldiers at a beach during a military exercise in Miaoli, Taiwan.

Photographer: Lam Yik Fei/Bloomberg
By

Taiwan will make an announcement on extending its four-month military conscription requirement by the end of this year, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said, in the latest sign Taipei is taking a potential war threat from China more seriously.

Any change to military service would come with a one-year notice period, Chiu told lawmakers in Taipei on Wednesday, noting that the ministry was still seeking opinions from various departments.