Taiwan’s legislature has passed an extension of the country’s mandatory military service. Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) announced on Monday that the measure had passed after no party caucus opposed it.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) announced last December that Taiwan would extend its military conscription period from four months to one year starting in 2024. The president also announced the military would change its training regimen and increase conscripts’ salaries.
The legislature passed the new extension plan on Monday without opposition. The opposition Taiwan People’s Party says though it does not oppose the plan, it will continue to monitor how the new training program is implemented.
The conscription period extension comes as Taiwan faces growing threats from China. Last August Beijing launched military drills around Taiwan after former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the country.