Chinese Military Reserves - Soldiers move into position during an anti-invasion exercise on a beach during the annual Han Kuang military exercise in Taiwan, September 14, 2021 [File: Ann Wang/Reuters]
Taipei, Taiwan – Preparing for a possible military war from China has been a constant concern since the Taiwanese government took refuge on the island in 1949 at the end of the Chinese Civil War. There were three near misses between the 1950s and 1990s, and now there may be cause for concern once again as China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) completes a major campaign to modernize its military.
Chinese Military Reserves
In a recent white paper, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said the PLA has developed the ability to block Taiwan's major airports and ports, while the Pentagon said they will be able to "force Taiwan's leadership to the negotiating table in 2027." .
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Since coming to power in 2016, President Tsai Ing-wen has focused on improving the capabilities of the military and has launched a major campaign to purchase weapons from the United States as her government's relationship with Beijing deteriorates. In August, US President Joe Biden's administration approved $750 million worth of arms sales to Taiwan for the first time, after former President Donald Trump approved sales of $5.1 billion in 2020.
Taiwan's defense ministry is requesting an additional $9 billion over the next five years to improve Taiwan's defense. The money is in addition to the existing and growing budget.
As Taiwan's horizon darkens, another big question to consider is whether the general public will be ready.
Most male citizens must complete national service, which in theory should prepare them to fill the professional army, which, according to budget data, currently stands at about 188,000, up from 215,000 if contractors and civilian trainees are included. equation.
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The military is under pressure for budgetary and political reasons—many democracies do not have standing armies—so the reserves play an important role in replacing bombed airfields, repairing vehicles and digging trenches. In the event of an attack, nearly one million reservists who have completed their eight-year national service could be called up in the first round of mobilization.
However, despite their important role, Taiwan faces questions about whether its reserves are capable of actual combat or whether there are adequate systems in place to control them should they be deployed in a wartime environment.
After completing national service, which has been cut to four months from a year about a decade ago, most reservists must return to training for about a week on two separate occasions to sharpen their skills. In practice, however, the results have been mixed.
"The new mandatory four-month service does not provide enough time for training in various disciplines, while giving them enough experience in joint practice," said Kitch Liao Yen-fan, network director at Doublethink Lab Taiwan. war and military adviser. things . "This means that the new four-month trainees will be more of a burden than a real combat force that can be trusted by the units they are assigned to."
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Wen Lii is the director of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's office in the Matsu Islands, a group of islands administered by Taiwan off China's southeast coast. He told Al Jazeera that he used his national service to learn to drive and repair an armored vehicle.
"I played a supporting role - my role was as a mechanic and the role of a teaching assistant - but that is related to the purpose of our special unit and the role that is primarily intended for employers," he told Al Jazeera. .
He said reservists could use a "more defined role" to explain how they would support regular troops with supplies, first aid and so on during wartime - something analysts have also called for.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Taiwan's defense strategy has long focused on "unbalanced defense," or "countering the enemy on the opposite coast, attacking at sea, destroying it along the coast, and destroying the coast". In practice, this means that even though the PLA is outnumbered, Taiwan can hold out long enough to make itself an unattractive target for attack.
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For this reason, the Ministry of Defense established the Global Defense Mobilization Agency to manage the stockpile from January.
A pilot rehabilitation project will also begin that month, testing the 14-day regimen on 15,000 repatriated soldiers. Some recent notes also speak of a change in the way the military treats them, suggesting that their potential value is also being recognized.
Xi Chen, who works in customer service, told Al Jazeera that his first recall training experience three years ago felt like "summer camp" for the Boy Scouts, but during the most recent recall, his group was watched what changes would occur. the sound of z. use guns and practice shooting.
"As one of our leaders said there, 'we learned to shoot and hide, but we learned to run or fight.' I think this process is about making sure you win when the country needs it. Don't be afraid to use weapons and besides, this process reminds us how to (value) peace," he said.
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Improving skills and practical training is only part of the equation, however, if Taiwan truly wants to have a capable defense force. First, Taiwan's military is somewhat controversial, as it has about 90,000 non-commissioned officers (NCOs) — soldiers who start at the entry level and rise through the ranks — but only 44,127 enlisted men and 36,232 enlisted men. officers who entered the military service at the highest level, according to the government budget.
Wen-Ti Sung, a lecturer at the Taiwan Studies Program at the Australian National University, said that only 40 percent of the officials and 60 percent of the non-governmental organizations needed to manage, train and coordinate repatriated reservists in Taiwan are based in Taiwan. Taiwan. big " has a "double and play" component. or a "ready to go" defensive strategy based on a relatively small army and a broad civilian base.
However, the military in Taiwan has long been an unpopular career choice due to poor pay, benefits, and social status, as well as poor relations with Taiwan's martial law regime, where the military has played a major role in suppressing human rights. "There is a lot of work to do to make defense a major profession in Taiwan that attracts highly skilled talent," Sung said.
Taiwan's "Frogmen" Marines practice a secret landing on Taiwan's Kinmen Island, just a few kilometers from mainland China [File: Wally Santana/AP]
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A new advocacy paper released earlier this month offers better housing, childcare and more vocational courses, but will that be enough to encourage people to sign up? or not is unknown.
A lieutenant currently earns only NTD 51,915 ($1,867) a month, while a colonel, one of the highest ranks in many armies, earns NTD 78,390 ($2,816), no more. Including bonuses, the average monthly salary is NTD 54,320. Pensions were also cut in 2018 as the government struggled to balance the books with a shrinking population and structural changes in Taiwan's economy.
"How do you get [professional soldiers] to believe that joining the military is not a lifelong commitment, that they can have a second life outside of the military? That's what happened to the US military, many get a second life after leaving the service," said Doublethink's Liao, explaining how Taiwan is now facing a "race" against time.
"It's not about buying all the big guns, getting all the missiles you can get, it's about changing attitudes and culture and getting the whole community to be prepared and prevent it in time."
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On the other end of the spectrum, there is an ongoing debate among lawmakers and military experts in Taiwan and the United States about whether to train civilian militias or simply have volunteers willing to provide food and shelter in Taiwan's many temples.
Until now, small workshops have been organized by non-governmental groups such as Taiwan's Military and Police Tactics Research and Development Association (TTRDA), which teaches civilians skills such as martial arts and is the first to teach such skills. Front United. aid for major disasters.
"We believe that a resilient society and a prepared society will be a big factor if the Beijing authorities finally decide to use force. This means that behind the 180,000-200,000 soldiers there is a reserve system and civilians who are trained and equipped for emergency mobilization. The idea is that civilians complement the strength of our regular forces," said Forward Alliance founder Enoch Wu, who served in Taiwan's special forces.
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