Conscription Extended to 1 Year, President Tsai: Prepare for War to Avoid War
United Daily News, December 28, 2022
President Tsai Ing-wen held a high-level national security meeting and decided to extend the compulsory military service to one year. According to the plan, in the future, the salary of conscripts will increase from the current monthly salary of NT$6,510 (about US$212) to NT$20,320 (about US$661). The new regulations will apply to male citizens born after 2005.
President Tsai admitted that this was an extremely difficult decision, but as president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, it is her unavoidable responsibility to ensure national interests and a sustainable democratic way of life for generations to come. But she also stressed that reform is not due to pressure from the United States.
At a press conference held at the Presidential Office Building, President Tsai personally briefed the people on the plan to extend compulsory service. Regarding the increase in conscript pay, next year, the monthly salary of conscripts, including insurance and food expenses, will be increased to NT$26,307 (about US$856), which is close to the minimum monthly wage (NT$ 26,400 or about US$880). And as the rank of the soldier increases, the salary will also increase. In the past, remuneration for military service was too low, and some people “lost money” serving in the military. According to President Tsai, these unreasonable circumstances must be reformed.
In addition, a reform to the retirement system will also be promoted. Currently, when calculating one’s length of service upon retirement, the time spent in compulsory military service can only be combined with the years accrued while working in the military or as a civil servant, meaning it adds no benefit to general laborers. To account for fairness, Taiwan will push for a legislative amendment such that the one-year military service experience of future conscripts can be linked with the labor retirement system. The Ministry of National Defense will be responsible for matching 6 percent of personnel salary to contribute to their individual retirement funds. The Ministry of Education will communicate with colleges and universities and consider foreign examples to formulate possible solutions to make the education system more flexible, so that conscripts can use their time effectively and connect with their careers.
Vice President William Lai, Premier Su Tseng-chang, Secretary General Wellington Koo of the National Security Council, and Minister of National Defense Chiu Kao-cheng, all accompanied President Tsai at the press conference. President Tsai stated that Taiwan is on the front line of authoritarian expansion, "only by preparing for war can we avoid war, and only by being able to fight can we stop war."
According to President Tsai, the plan to adjust the military structure includes the strategic goal of strengthening national defense across Taiwan. This includes the "main battle force" mainly composed of volunteer soldiers, the standing "garrison command" mainly composed of compulsory service, and the integration of civilian forces, various ministries, commissions, and the four major blocks of the "civil defense system" and "backup system" constructed by local governments and alternative agencies.
She stated that the current four-month military training service system can no longer meets the present needs of combat readiness needs in terms of the quantity of troops and the quality of training; starting from 2024, the one-year compulsory service will be resumed and the training schedule will be strengthened. The new regulations apply to male citizens born after January 1, 2005.
The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) expressed support for reforming military service but proposes major reform initiatives, including "improving the content and quality of service," "giving reasonable treatment," and "rebuilding soldiers' sense of honor".