Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Taiwan extends mandatory military service period to counter China threat
Taiwan’s military has a fertility problem. The population of Taiwan is around 23.5 million, roughly half of South Korea’s. Just like neighboring South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong, Taiwan’s fertility rate is below 1.0 per woman of childbearing age, one of the lowest in the world. Because of this, new births per year are projected to fall by 20,000 by 2035 from 153,800 recorded in 2021. The island’s military force is just above 160,000 plus reservists as all eligible men over 18 have to serve at least four months in the military. While the threat from the mainland increases, the pool of eligible men is likely to keep decreasing. So, the Taiwanese government has decided to extend the mandatory military service period, which had been shortened to four months only a few years back, to prepare for war to prevent war. Those conscripts will be trained to use modern weapons and practice first aid and lifesaving skills to protect key infrastructures should a war occur. The new conscription rule will apply to all men born after 2005 from 2024. Having witnessed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, national defense seems to be prioritized even further in Taiwan.
Read the article and learn about what it could take to protect the homeland.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/27/asia/taiwan-military-conscription-intl-hnk/index.html
Taiwan extends mandatory military service period to counter China threat
Taiwan’s military has a fertility problem. The population of Taiwan is around 23.5 million, roughly half of South Korea’s. Just like neighboring South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong, Taiwan’s fertility rate is below 1.0 per woman of childbearing age, one of the lowest in the world. Because of this, new births per year are projected to fall by 20,000 by 2035 from 153,800 recorded in 2021. The island’s military force is just above 160,000 plus reservists as all eligible men over 18 have to serve at least four months in the military. While the threat from the mainland increases, the pool of eligible men is likely to keep decreasing. So, the Taiwanese government has decided to extend the mandatory military service period, which had been shortened to four months only a few years back, to prepare for war to prevent war. Those conscripts will be trained to use modern weapons and practice first aid and lifesaving skills to protect key infrastructures should a war occur. The new conscription rule will apply to all men born after 2005 from 2024. Having witnessed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, national defense seems to be prioritized even further in Taiwan.
Read the article and learn about what it could take to protect the homeland.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/27/asia/taiwan-military-conscription-intl-hnk/index.html
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