Taiwan extends mandatory military service period to counter China threat

Taiwan will extend the period of mandatory military service for all eligible men from four months to a year amid rising threats from China, President Tsai Ing-wen said at a news conference in Taipei on Tuesday.

Four months of mandatory military training can "no longer suit the needs" of Taiwan's defense, she said, adding that while extending the service period was a "difficult decision," it was necessary for safeguarding the island's democratic way of life.

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.