President Ma Ying-jeou says that the government’s drive to attract new recruits for an all-volunteer military have been far more successful than expected.
Addressing a meeting of directors from the Friends of the Armed Forces Association on Tuesday, Ma said that three key conditions need to be met before Taiwan can build up a professional military. Soldiers must be offered fair wages, treated with dignity, and given opportunities to grow.
Ma said when the drive to attract new recruits began last year, the government wasn’t yet able to provide these conditions. But he said since the beginning of this year, the number of applications to join the military has spiked, far more than expected.
Ma said, "After we had the necessary conditions at the beginning of this year, we wanted to recruit 10,500 soldiers, but 24,000 people applied, greatly exceeding our expectations. We’ve selected 9,000 of these applicants, and there is still room for more."
The president said that the move from a conscript-based system to an all-volunteer one will improve the military’s combat power by ensuring that those most suited to serve are selected.