Taiwan extends mandatory military service

Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Taiwan is extending its compulsory military service from four months to one year amid increasing military tensions with China.

Under the new plans, which will take effect in 2024, conscripts will undergo more intense training and will be tasked with guarding key infrastructure, enabling regular forces to respond more swiftly in the event of any attempt by China to invade.

"As long as Taiwan is strong enough, it will be the home of democracy and freedom all over the world, and it will not become a battlefield," President Tsai Ing-wen told a news conference after a national security council meeting. "Taiwan wants to tell the world that between democracy and dictatorship, we firmly believe in democracy. Between war and peace, we insist on peace. Let us show the courage and determination to protect our homeland and defend democracy."

The new conscription period, which will be implemented at the start of 2024, will apply to men born after 2005, Tsai said.

The announcement comes amid more aggressive actions by China. On Sunday, Beijing sent 47 aircraft across the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

Since 2013, Taiwan has required men older than 18 to serve four months in the military, with the first five weeks in a basic training boot camp. The new plan will put mandatory recruits on eight-week basic training.

The monthly salary of conscripts will also be raised from about $195 to more than $650 per month, Tsai said.

"Maintaining peace is reliant on national defense, and national defense relies on every citizen," she said.

A survey conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in December found that 73.2% of respondents were in favor of an extension to compulsory service.