A suggestion by former United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper that Taiwan should extend its existing four-month mandatory military training for conscripts to at least one year for both men and women received mixed reactions from military experts Wednesday.
A shortage of skilled personnel in the armed forces could present a challenge for Taiwan in the event of an attack by China, according to Shen Ming-shi (???), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
The four months of military training, which is mandatory for all male citizens over 18, is “inadequate” to ensure military reservists have the necessary combat skills, Shen said, adding that service time should be extended to one year as it was from 2008-2013.
Given Esper’s previous role at the Pentagon, he is well aware of how far the U.S. is willing to intervene to defend Taiwan if China were to invade and the current conscription period is “not a enough time” to properly train soldiers, Shen said.
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, the second day of his four-day visit, Esper said he believes Taiwan needs to lengthen and toughen its conscription, with young Taiwanese men and women receiving military training for at least one year, if not longer.
Asked by CNA to comment on Esper’s suggestion, Lin Ying-yu (???), an assistant professor at National Sun Yat-sen University who is also a defense expert, said that the quality of training is more important than the length of active-duty.
It would be meaningless to extend military service to one year, but not incorporate rigorous and intensive military training in the training curriculum, Lin said.
The nation’s military is currently a mainly volunteer force, with conscripts serving in a supporting role.
Taiwanese women can choose to join the armed forces. The latest numbers show that of the over 180,000 military personnel in Taiwan, 15 percent are female.
All Taiwanese men over 18 initially had to serve two to three years in the military as part of a conscription system adopted by the Republic of China government after it relocated to Taiwan in 1949 following the Chinese Civil War.
After 1996, conscription was gradually reduced and became one year in length in 2008.
During the previous Kuomintang (KMT) administration under President Ma Ying-jeou (???), which governed from 2008-2016, the government turned the nation’s military into a fully voluntary force in which conscripts are only required to undergo four months of military training, starting in 2013.
In March, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (???) told lawmakers that the ministry will present an evaluation report this year on whether to extend the existing four-month mandatory military training for conscripts.
Government officials declined to comments on Esper’s proposal.
The government will take into consideration factors such as the threats posed to Taiwan and the military’s training capacity as it looks to revamp the conscription system and strengthen the military’s asymmetric capabilities and readiness for war, according to statements by the Presidential Office and the Ministry of National Defense.
Asked to respond to Esper Wednesday, Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (???) said that Taiwan needs to reflect on its conscription system and to promote all-out defense education to raise defense awareness.
Chu also called on the government to come up with strategies to facilitate cross-strait dialogue and prevent confrontation.
Lin Por-fong (???), chairman of the Third Wednesday Club, a trade group made up of business leaders, was also approached by reporters Wednesday to comment on Esper’s proposal.
The government should focus on boosting Taiwan’s strength in economics, technology and its role in global supply chains, which are crucial to the country’s security and people’s welfare and will best keep Taiwan out of a war, he said.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel