HARD REALITY: A minimum of 175,000 troops are required for the nation’s defense, but only 160,700 volunteers have been inducted so far, leaving a gap of 14,000, the Control Yuan said

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 29, 2018
By: Aaron Tu and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

The viability of the military’s all-volunteer force, a major defense initiative endorsed by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is questionable, according to a Control Yuan report published a few weeks ago.

The report came after the Control Yuan last year stated its concern about the nation’s military preparedness after the government started implementation of the plan, which it said might pose “serious risks to national security.”

The report said the initiative’s implementation added to other challenges facing the military, such as falling troop numbers and ongoing reductions to the length of compulsory military service.    [FULL  STORY]