Many believe President Tsai Ing-wen would make the announcement on extending Taiwan's military service to one year in the national security meeting next week. While many DPP lawmakers support the change, they also think the salaries and benefits of draftees should be improved.
DPP legislators are coming out in support to extend the military service to one-year as the situation in the Taiwan Strait is precarious, and national defense reform is imminent. While there is still no announcement from the Ministry of National Defense, some believe it's likely that President Tsai Ing-wen would finalize the change in a national security meeting next week. Legislator Liu Shyh-fang brought out a number of recent polls, showing that the extension of military service received 60 percent to 80 percent of public support. However, besides extending the service period, training programs and treatment have to be adjusted also. For example, the monthly salary of a private in compulsory service is only NT$6,510, which is only half of the salary of a South Korean private.
Chung Chia-pin, Legislator (DPP): “Besides serving during the compulsory service period, being summoned after discharge is also part of our military service.”
Su Tzu-yun, Director, Div. of Defense Strategy & Resources, INDSR: “In the future, assume that there are only about 2.21 million 18 to 32 years olds available for volunteer service, which is half of what is available now. So this means it's harder to support an all-volunteer force.”
Chung pointed out that from the Russia-Ukraine War, we can see that people continue to receive military training to maintain their combat readiness. Su said that Taiwan is facing the impact of a declining birth rate, and the population will not be able to support a full volunteer force. At this moment, integrity and courage are needed to reform the country’s military service and assist draftees to complete psychological adjustments, physical strengthening, and familiarity with combat weapons. NGOs are also supporting the resumption of the one-year military service period. China has about 700,000 to 800,000 troops that it can send to attack Taiwan. Taiwan’s national army can rely on a combat strength of about 240,000 troops. The military’s current training and task organization may not match the real state of war.
Lo I, Director, Activities Dept., Taiwan Citizen Front: “The new trainee's reserve units are in charge of frontline coastal defense. I think we need to refine our troop needs for this part of our national defense plan.”
Hung Mong-kai, Legislator (KMT): “We call on the national security meeting to not just meet and issue a press release afterwards. If President Tsai is really sincere, she should hold a press conference in person to accept questions from the media.”
However, KMT legislators believe that the national security meeting should not only discuss military service. They pointed out that the central government has three major deficiencies: worsening of law and order, a rampant cyber army, and its failure of epidemic prevention. They ask President Tsai to respond to issues such as power shortages, rising prices, and the increasing wealth gap.
民進黨立委們站出來支持役期恢復一年，台海情勢險峻，國防改革迫在眉睫，卻遲遲等不到國防部宣布兵役是否延長，總統蔡英文下週將召開國安會議，兵役延長1年可望塵埃落定。立委劉世芳端出近期多份民調，顯示兵役延長獲得6到8成的支持度，不過除了役期延長，訓練內容跟待遇都要調整，像是我國義務役二兵月薪僅6510元，只有南韓二兵的一半薪水。
民進黨立委鍾佳濱指出：「除了入伍在營服役之外，退伍之後的召集，也是我們服兵役當中的一環。」
國防安全研究院戰略與資源所長蘇紫雲提及：「以後假設18歲到32歲，志願役的目標人口大概只有221萬人，是現在的一半，所以這樣是比較難去支撐一個全志願役的部隊。」
鍾佳濱指出，從俄烏戰爭可見，民眾持續接受軍事訓練能維持戰力，蘇紫雲表示，台灣面臨少子化衝擊，人口將無法滿足全募兵制，此刻需要正直跟勇氣，進行兵役改革，協助役男完成心理調適、體能強化、熟悉戰鬥武器，民團也力挺役期恢復1年，針對共軍攻台主戰部隊，東部、南部戰區約7、80萬兵力，國軍可恃戰力約24萬人，目前訓練內容與任務編組恐不符合戰爭現況。
台灣公民陣線活動部主任羅宜表示：「負責第一線海岸守備的，則是那個新訓任務的後備部隊，那這也是我們這個兵力上面，一個可能需要必須要再更精進的部分。」
國民黨立委洪孟楷說道：「我們呼籲國安會議不要只是自己開會，事後發新聞稿，過場作戲，敷衍了事。蔡總統真的有誠意，親自召開記者會，接受媒體的提問。」
不過，藍營立委認為，國安會議不能只討論役期，提出中央施政出現治安敗壞、網軍橫行、防疫荒腔走板的3大缺失，要求蔡總統正面回應缺電、物價上漲、貧富差距過大等民生議題。
