Taiwan Extends Compulsory Military Service Amid Chinese Threats

Taiwan has announced a plan to extend compulsory military service to one year from four months, a senior government official said, as the island deals with rising Chinese military pressure, Nikkei Asia reported.

Photo Insert: Extending compulsory military service by eight months allows the defense forces to retain warm bodies while local companies are building warships, jet fighters, and missiles in collaboration with US companies.

President Tsai Ing-wen convened a national security meeting on Tuesday morning to discuss reinforcing the island’s civil defense and will announce the extension at a news conference in the afternoon, the official added, declining to be identified because the information was not yet publicly announced, Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard of Reuters also reported.

Taiwan’s defense ministry declined to comment, although Tsai’s office had said on Monday she would be holding a national security meeting and news conference on Tuesday on new civil defense measures.

The day before, China buzzed Taiwan with 71 warplanes while seven ships sailed threateningly close to the median line between China and Taiwan. Taiwanese radar tracked the warplanes and missiles were readied.

Extending compulsory military service by eight months allows the defense forces to retain warm bodies while local companies are building warships, jet fighters, and missiles in collaboration with US companies.

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