Preparation: Taiwan extends military-service obligation to full year

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.

“Nobody wants war. The Taiwanese government and its people do not want it, nor does the international community want it. But peace does not fall from the sky,” she said.

“We need to actively prepare for war to prevent war, and we need to be able to fight a war to stop a war.”