Taiwan should announce an extension of its compulsory military service from four months to one year, citing China’s threat as justification, local media said.
This island of democratic rule lives under the shadow of an increasingly belligerent invasion by China, which considers it a territory of its own to be recovered in the future, even by force.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is due to announce the extension of military service for all adult men at a press conference at 3:30 p.m. (07:30 GMT) after a high-level meeting on national security, the semi-official Central News Agency reported.
The presidential office said Monday that a proposal to “adjust the structure” of national defense was on the agenda of the meeting, but offered no further details.
The CNA agency indicated that the change would take effect in January 2024 if the formal announcement of the extension is published next month.
The prospect of a Chinese invasion increasingly worries Taipei and its Western allies, especially after the Russian offensive against Ukraine.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has said what Beijing calls the “reunification” of Taiwan cannot be left to future generations.
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